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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
WASHINGTON, D. C.
GPO 16—67244-1
$
*
NEW REMEDIES:
THE
METHOD
OF
PREPARING AND ADMINISTERING THEM;
THEIR EFFEC TS
ON THE
HEALTHY AND DISEASED ECONOMY, &c.
PRODESSE QUAM CONSPICI.
THIRD EDITION,
WITH NUMEROUS MODIFICATIONS AND ADDITIONS.
BY
ROBLEY DITNGLISON, M. D., Sec. A. P. S.,
Professor of the Institutes of Medicine, and Materia Medica in Jefferson Medical
College of Philadelphia; Attending physician to the Philadelphia
Hospital, &c. &c.
w ^____-----------"rr
"■ -°- L • -j
PHILADELPHIA:
LEA & BLANCHARD.
1841.
184-1
c~ l
Entered according to Act of Congress, by Robley Dunglison, M. D., in the
Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Eastern district of Pennsylvania.
Griggs &. Co., Printers.
PREFACE
TO THE THIRD EDITION.
The favourable reception, which the first* and second editions
of the New Remedies have experienced, and the necessity for a
third edition in so short a period, have sufficiently shown, that
the work has been found useful. Grateful for this result, the
Author has endeavoured to render the present edition still more
acceptable to the Profession. He has subjected it to an entire
revision, has modified in certain respects the arrangement, and
altered the nomenclature so as to cause it to correspond more
nearly to that adopted in the Pharmacopoeia of the United States.
In the space of time that has elapsed since the appearance of
the last edition, opportunities have occurred for testing farther
the value and the method of preparing many of the articles. The
results of these observations have been added, and especial care
has been taken to insert every novelty of practical interest to the
Physician and the Pharmaceutist. Fresh articles have likewise
been introduced into notice, some of which constitute useful
additions to the Materia Medica. These have been incorporated
* The first edition appeared in the American Medical Library for 1839, of
which the Author is Editor.
IV
PREFACE.
in their proper places, with other therapeutical agents that were
omitted in the preceding edition; for example,—Iodide of Am-
monium, Iodide of Arsenic and Mercury, Cimicifuga, Lactate of
Iron, Protocarbonate of Iron, and Monesia.
Some other new remedies, which have been recently brought
forward, the Author has not admitted, inasmuch as their qualities
have either not been sufficiently tested, or their superior efficacy
may be questioned: amongst these may be enumerated Anihrako-
kali,* Sulphate of Cadmium,-f Gentiana Chirayita,^ and Paulli-
* Anthrakokali, from «v6/>*£ coal, and Kali, potassa. This article was first pro-
posed by Dr. Polya, of Pesth, in the year 1837, as a remedy in chronic cutaneous
diseases. Two forms are employed, the simple and the sulphuretted. The former
is prepared by dissolving carbonate of potassa in 10 or 12 parts of boiling water,
and adding as much slacked lime as will separate the potassa. The solution thus
obtained contains only caustic potassa. The filtered liquor is placed on the fire in
an iron vessel, and suffered to evaporate until neither froth nor effervescence occurs,
and the liquid presents a smooth surface like oil. To this is added the levigated
coal, in the proportion of 160 grammes to 192 grammes of potassa. The mixture is
stirred and removed from the fire, and the stirring is continued until a black homo-
geneous powder results. This powder is kept in a dry place.
To obtain the sulphuretted anthrakokali, 16 grammes of sulphur must be mixed
accurately with the coal, and the mixture be dissolved in the potassa as directed
above.
M. Polya affirms, that the Anthrakakoli exerts its influence on the skin gene-
rally, and especially on chronic cutaneous affections. It has also been given bene-
ficially in scrofula and chronic rheumatism.
The dose of the simple and sulphuretted preparations is 10 centigrammes three
times a day.—See M.M. Jacobovics, in Gazette Medicale de Paris, Nos. 9 & 12,
and Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimittel, u.s. w. 2te Auflage, S. 37. Stuttgart, 1840.
t Sulphate of Cadmium, Cadmii seu Melini seu Klaprothii Sulphas, Sulphas
Cadmicus, Cadmium Sulphuricum, Klaprothium Sulphuricum, Melinum Sul-
phuricum; Germ. Schwefelsaures Cadmium, Schwefelsaures Klaprothium. Used
in spots on the cornea, by Rosenbaum, Helling, Kopp, and Guillie: in chronic tor-
pid inflammation of the conjunctiva, by Grafe, Daynac,and Giardano, in the quan-
tity of half a grain to a grain to the ounce of water.—Riecke, op. cit. S. 133.
t The Gentiana Chirayita, Henricea Pharmacearcha, Swertia Chirayita, is a
native of India, and is employed in that country in dyspepsia, and as an antipe-
riodic in intermittens. It has been highly extolled by Drs. Currie, Sigmond and
others. These gentlemen, consider that the secretion from the liver improves
under its use; and the latter advises it not only in torpor of the digestive
PREFACE.
V
nia,* the main properties of which are given in the subjoined notes.
Hereafter, these may be esteemed worthy of a place in the body
of the work. Even now, indeed, the testimony in their favour is
as strong as that adduced in support of some of the articles which
are already there.
ROBLEY DUNGLISON.
Philad. No. 9, Girard Street,
Dec. 1840.
function, but he prefers it to sarsaparilla where the latter is considered to be indi-
cated, as after large quantities of mercury have been taken, or where profuse sali-
vation has been induced. It has also "been advised in atonic leucorrhoea.
It yields its virtues to alcohol and water. (Gent, chirayit. gss, Aq. fervent.
Oss.) The tincture is made by macerating five ounces of the Chirayita for 14 days
in two pints of proof spirit. Dose, a tea-spoonful. The dose of the powder is one
scruple.
The Chirayita is imported into England, tied up in bundles.—See "Note upon
Gentiana Chirayita," by Dr. Carson, in American Journal of Pharmacy, new series,
Vol. vi. No. 1, April, 1840, p. 20.
* The Paullinia is an extract from a plant of the same name, a native of Brazil.
It is prepared by the Indians, and seems to possess considerable excitant powers.
M. Gavrelle recently presented a specimen of it to the Societe de Medecine of
Paris, as well as a new alkali, which had been separated from it by two chemists
of Paris. Both the extract and the alkali are very bitter, and somewhat resemble
Cafeine. M. Gavrelle states, that the Paullinia is obtained from the Paullinia sor-
bilis; Family, Sapindaceae. M. de Chastetus found it to be composed of gum, starch,
a resinous matter of a reddish brown colour, a fat oil, tannin, and a crystallizable
substance, possessing the chemical properties of cafeine.
In Brazil, and the neighbouring countries, it is given in the form of Tisane—
the powder being mixed with cocoa—in diarrhoea and dysentery. Asa tonic, M.
Gavrelle has employed it successfully in chlorosis, tedious convalescence, paralysis,
the colliquative diarrhoea of phthisis, and hemicrania.
According to Von Martius, an extract is prepared in Brazil from the Paullinia
sorbins, which is known there under the name ofGuarana, and is administered in
similar pathological cases.—(See Art. Guarana, in Diet. Univers. de Mat. Med.
par Merat et De Lens, Tom. ii. p. 365, Bruxelles, 1838.)
The Hydro-alcoholic extract of Paullinia is considered to represent the plant
most accurately in its chemical properties. Of this, M. Gavrelle has given formu-
la for Lozenges, Syrup, Pills, Powder, Tincture, and Ointment—Journal de Chimie
Med., and Encyclographie des Sciences Medicates, Juillet, 1840, p. 230. See, also,
American Journal of Pharmacy, Oct. 1840, p. 286.
1*
PREFACE
TO THE FIRST AND SECOND EDITIONS.
The information, concerning the remedies of more recent intro-
duction, lies scattered in so many works, that it cannot be ac-
cessible to the mass of physicians. The author has, consequently,
believed, that he would be rendering a service to the profession
by concentrating the results of experience within reasonable limits,
so that they may be readily available to all. The majority of
the new agents—it will be found—have been furnished by modern
chemistry; and their employment has been attended with this ad-
vantage, that—when properly prepared—they are not liable to
uncertainty in their operation; whilst the various plants from
which the strychnine, emetine, quinine, &c. are obtained, are
liable to irregularity of action, owing to faults in desiccation, to
the season in which they are culled, &c. &c.—objections which
cannot apply to the active principles when separated from them.
Owing to the difficulty of sifting the results of true from those
of false observation, the author has esteemed it proper to give,
as far as he was able, the recorded experience of all who have
employed the remedies in question.
It need scarcely be said, that to make a correct observer and a
good therapeutist, a knowledge of every department of medical
science is demanded. Anatomy, physiology, pathology, and ma-
teria medica are, indeed, but introductory to the great object
which the practitioner has in view—the alleviation and removal
of suffering. Were it otherwise, it would be but necessary to in-
stitute empirical trials, in every case of disease, with various
articles in and out of the received lists of the materia medica, and
from such vap-ue trials to endeavour to deduce what is termed
" experience."
The erroneous idea prevails too extensively, that every one is
capable of profiting by observation, and that, therefore, all who
viii
PREFACE.
have had the same amount of experience, must be equally capable
of treating disease. Setting aside, however, the consideration of
the differences that must necessarily result from the varied powers
of individuals, it can scarcely be maintained, that he, whose at-
tention has not been properly directed to the study of the prelimi-
nary branches, which have been enumerated, and whose mind
has not been trained in tracing the relation between cause and
effect, can ever duly profit by mere experience in that which has
been properly termed "the most inductive of all sciences."*
To treat disease methodically and effectively, the nature of the
actions of the living tissues, in both the healthy and morbid con-
ditions, must be correctly appreciated; the effects, which the
articles of the materia medica are capable of exerting under both
those conditions, must be known from accurate observation, and
not until then can the practitioner prescribe with any well-founded
prospect of success. Numerous errors would be perpetrated,
were we to profess, and to carry out such profession, that we are
guided by experience only, unless that experience had been gained
by a due consideration of all the physiological, pathological, and
therapeutical bearings of the subject. In illustration of this, the
well-known case, cited by Dr. Paris, in his Life of Sir Humphry
Davy, may be adduced. The enthusiastic Beddoes, having hypo-
thetically inferred, that the inhalation of the nitrous oxide might
be a specific for palsy, a patient was selected for trial, and placed
under the care of Davy—at the time assistant to Beddoes. Be-
fore administering the gas, Davy thought of ascertaining the
temperature of the body by the thermometer placed under the
tongue. The paralytic, deeply impressed by Dr. Beddoes with
the certainty of the success of the remedy, of which he knew
nothing—soon after the thermometer was placed in his mouth.
believing this to be the great curative agent—declared that he
felt somewhat better. Nothing more was, therefore, done; and
he was requested to return on the following day. The same form
was then gone through, with the same results; and, at the end
of a fortnight, the sick man was dismissed cured, no agent of
any kind having been employed, except the thermometer.
Now, if the reasoning powers were not duly exerted, experi-
ence would obviously teach, as the result of this case, that the
thermometer is an antiparalytic. The rational therapeutist is not,
however, satisfied with this knowledge of the fact, for "fact it is."
He enquires into the mode in which the effect was induced, and
he is not long in referring it to the influence exerted by the mwal
* Propterea sola experientia absque doctrina et ratione incerta est, et con-
jecturalis. Qui enim novit rhubarbarum pargare bilem, nescit tarnen quando,
quibus, et cui morbo prosit, nisi sit medicus doctus et peritus. Priraros. De
vulgi erroribus in medicina, lib. i. cap. xl. Amstelod. 1639.
PREFACE.
IX
over the physique; and he classes the thermometer with Perkin-
ism, animal magnetism, and their congenerous arts,—amongst
articles that act chiefly through the new impressions, which they
make on the senses.
It might seem to those who are unacquainted with medical
history, that in periods approaching our own, no such illogical
inferences could be deduced, and that it has been the custom
with the profession for ages, to bestow all due caution, and the
most rational enquiry in the collection of facts. Such, however,
is far from being the case. It is, indeed, humiliating to reflect
on the credulity or faulty observation that has existed among na-
tions, who have successfully cultivated many of the other branches
of natural science. It ought scarcely to be credited, and yet it is
nevertheless true, that the aqua spermatis ranarum, or " water of
frog's spawn," was to be found not very long ago in the Pharma-
copoeia of Sardinia; and the aqua hirundinum cum castoreo, or
" water of swallows with castor," in those of Manheim and Wirt-
emberg. The latter preparation is directed to be made as follows:
__Take of young swallows bruised in a mortar, forty; rue, two
handfuls ; castor one ounce; white wine three pints. This dis-
gusting preparation was given in hysteria and epilepsy. Again;
the bufones exsiccati, or, " dried toads," were in the Pharmaco-
poeias of Spain and Wirtemberg—having been formerly admi-
nistered in powder, as a diuretic, in dropsy. In another work,*
the author has cited many examples as strange as those in-
stanced, and it would be easy to enumerate still more.
In a recent French journal, and in an article by M. Ricord—
the distinguished physician to the Venereal Hospital of Paris—we
have an example of the pertinacity with which ancient prepos-
sessions and inculcations adhere to us, and how difficult it is to
think and to act according to the unbiased suggestions of our
own observation and reflection. In the treatment of blennorrha-
o-ic epididymitis, or swelled testicle from gonorrhoea, M. Ricord
recommends compression to be made by means of the " spara-
drap " or plaster of Vigo with mercury. The history of this plas-
ter is singular. Although still in the Pharmacopoeia of Pans, it
resembles its prototypes but in name. In the pharmacopoeia of
Wirtemberg, it is directed to be formed of living frogs and living
earthworms, boiled with various inert and by us rejected herbs in
white wine and vinegar—the decoction being strained, and
added to olive oil, litharge, oil of baybernes, turpentine, yel-
low wax, olibanum, euphorbium, and liquid storax, all melted to-
gether. . , r ,
Yet, it is scarcely possible to conceive, that the frog s spawn
could have been supposed to yield a product, on distillation, dif-
* General Therapeutics, p. 55. Philad. 1836.
X
PREFACE.
fering from that of other animal substances, when subjected to the
same process; that the swallows—in the preparation cited—added
any thing to the antispasmodic virtues of the castor, or that the li-
ving frogs and earth worms exerted any efficacy in the spara-
drap de Vigo—a plaster, employed for compressing tumours, and
for which purpose we use one of simple adhesive constituents.
They have all been properly rejected from the lists of our medi-
cinal agents, and are looked upon as irrational; yet we are com-
pelled to infer from the fact of their having been received, in some
countries, into officinal publications, into the pharmacopoeias,
which emanate from congregations of those of our profession,
who are esteemed learned by education and by practice—that
they were originally admitted under the sanction of fancied ex-
perience.
In the darker periods of medical history, monstrous and revolt-
ing polypharmacal preparations were introduced, and nothing
but the blindest devotion to authority or to established custom
could have occasioned their retention. It is not long since the
Theriac of Andromachus—itself but a modification of the anti-
dotum Mithridatum—was dismissed from the British Pharmaco-
poeias. It consisted of seventy-two articles, and was a farrago—
as Dr. Heberden observed—that had "no better title to the name
of Mithridates than—as it so well resembles—the numerous
undisciplined forces of a barbarous king, made up of a dissonant
crowd collected from different countries, mighty in appearance,
but in reality an ineffective multitude, that only hinder each
other." The electuarium opiatum polypharmacum, of the Pari-
sian codex—the descendant of the old theriac, with even an
additional number of ingredients—contains acrid substances, 5;
astringent, 5; bitter, 22; indigenous aromatics, 10; umbelliferous
aromatics, 7; balsams and resinous substances, 8; fetid ingredi-
ents, 6; narcotics, 1; earthy substances, 1; gummy or amylace-
ous, 4; saccharine, 3. Total, 72—and one of these the flesh of
the viper; a little more than a grain of opium—which may be
regarded as a principal effective ingredient—being contained in
a dram of the compound. Yet, when the question arose in the
London College of Physicians, as to what should be the fate of
this " many headed monster," and when it was proposed by Dr
Heberden, that it should be ejected from the Pharmacopoeia,—
on a division, it was found, that there were thirteen votes for 're-
taining and fourteen for rejecting it. Its ostracism was deter-
mined by a majority of one only, in a learned body twenty-seven
of whose members were present.
Such was the fate of a "heterogeneous farrago," which, as
Dr. Paris has remarked, "can be vindicated upon no principle of
combination," and yet enjoyed the confidence of physicians for
PREFACE.
XI
ages—a confidence unquestionably founded, in their belief, on
experience, but experience based upon defective observation, and,
consequently, on erroneous inferences—the results being consecu-
tive rather than consequent, and bearing no relation whatever to
the assigned cause.
Happily, more correct ideas are beginning to be entertained on
the subject of true experience. It is now felt—to employ the
language of a distinguished surgeon—Professor Liston—that the
greatest number of well assorted facts on a particular subject
constitutes experience, whether these facts have been culled in
five years or in fifty. A better system, too, of observation generally
prevails, so that we have discarded the absurd and revolting
agents, that are still retained in the books of authority of some
European countries. Much, however, remains to be done. The
catalogue of the Materia Medica is yet overstocked, and the
pruning knife has still to be applied to lop off many of the redun-
dancies, which have been proved to be such, by the more accu-
rate attention, that is daily paid to tracing the due relation be-
tween cause and effect. " To purchase a clear and warrantable
body of truth," as Sir Thomas Brown has well observed, " we
must forget and part with much we know."
Every one will be compelled to admit, that it is the duty of the
correct therapeutist to doubt the existence of qualities in any arti-
cle until they have been adequately proved. When such is the
case, no reasoning can set aside facts; but unless the evidence
be overpowering, it is equally his duty to remain in doubt, espe-
cially should reflection suggest to him strong grounds for believing,
that the number of observations has been insufficient, that they
have not been properly made, or are inconsequential.
To enable the profession to form an accurate estimate of the
value of remedies of more recent introduction, or of the older
remedies whose use has been revived under novel applications,
the present volume was undertaken by the author.
In Germany, several works exist on this subject, and that of
Riecke—to which the author has repeatedly referred—served as
a basis for many of the articles; his observations, however, do,
not come down farther than the year 1836. Some of the state-
ments—especially in relation to the observations of certain of the
German physicians—are given on Riecke's authority, for he has
rarely appended references, by which the correctness of his as-
sertions could be tested.*
* Recently, a second and enlarged edition of Riecke's work has appeared ;
but the therapeutical additions to it are by no means as numerous as the author
had expected to find them. He has, consequently, made but few extracts from
it in the present edition. It is entitled, "Die neuern Arzneimittel, ihre
physischen und chemischen Eigenschaften, Bereitungsweisen, Wirkungen
Xll
PREFACE.
It has been a great object with the author to furnish exact re-
ferences to works in which farther information may be obtained,
and the number of these will show, that he has devoted no small
amount of time and attention to the subject. He has likewise
added the results of his own experience in public and in private.
Uhe motto which he has selected—prodesse quam conspici—con-
veys, in epitome, his feelings. His sole object has been, " to be
useful"—and if he has succeeded, the reward is ample.
ROBLEY DUNGLISON.
Philadelphia, No. 9 Girard Street,
October 15, 1839.
auf den gesunden und kranken organismus, und therapeutische Beniitzung.
Von Victor Adolf Riecke. Dr. Med., Mitglied des Vereins fur Heilkunde in
Preussen, u. s. w.; zweite, vollig umgearbeitete Auflage. Stuttgart, 1840."
NEW REMEDIES.
ACIDUM ACETICUM EMPYREUMATICUM.
Synonymes. Acidum Pyro-aceticum, A. Ligni pyro-oleosum, A. pyrolignosum
Acetum ligneum, Pyroligneous, and Pyrolignic acid.
French. Acide pyro-acetique, A. pyfolignique, A. pyroligneux, Vinaigre de
bois.
German. Brenzlrche oder brandige Holssaure ; Holzsaure; Holzessig.
The pyroligneous acid, although brought much into notice—
revived as it were—in recent times, is by no means the product
of those times exclusively. The cedria, with which the Egyptians
embalmed the bodies of the dead, it is presumed, was identical
with it. Pliny recommends cedria, or the oil of tar, got from the
cedar, in toothach,* and Galen unites with him.f The virtues of
the pyroligneous acid are often also referred to by Boerhaave.J
METHOD OF PREPARING.
The pyroligneous acid is prepared in chemical laboratories by
the dry distillation of wood, especially of hard wood, which is
placed in an iron retort heated to redness. First of all, there passes
over a light brown or greenish fluid, which contains some empy-
reumatic oil; to this succeeds the pyroligneous acid, which is
formed during distillation. If the distillation be continued, more
empyreumatic oil passes over., and lastly tar.
The chief constituent of the pyroligneous acid is vinegar, which
can be deprived of its empyreumatic constituents by rectification
with fine porous animal charcoal. Besides the vinegar, it con-
* Hist. Nat. xxxiv. 11.
f De Simpl. Medic. Facult. lib. vii. See Cormack oh Creosote, p. 59.
Edinb. 1836; or the American edit, in Dunglison's American Medical
Library.
J Riecke, Die neuern Arzneiniittel. u. s. w. S. 6. Stuttgart, 1837.
2
10
ACIDUM ACETICUM EMPYREUMATICTTM.
tains empyreumatic oil, (pyrelain;) empyreumatic resin, (pyrretin,)
a peculiar matter containing azote, and similar to an extract, (an
empyreumatic extract,) and spirit of tar, (spiritus pyrolignicus.)
Of late years, Reichenbach has discovered in it a new substance,
creasote;* which seems to be the most important ingredient, its
medicinal efficacy appearing to be dependent upon that substance.
Impure pyroligneous acid is of a brownish colour, and of an
acid smoky smell and taste. This is the preparation which is
generally used externally; but, by chemical means, the acid may
be purified so as to furnish the acidum pyrolignosum rectificatum.
This differs from the impure pyroligneous acid in containing less
empyreumatic resin and extract, and creasote. The London Col-
lege again prepare from it a stronger acid, the acidum aceticum
fortius, which is extremely volatile and pungent, and is used as a
revellent.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN HEALTH.
From experiments instituted on animals, it would appear, that
the administration of the pyroligneous acid in large doses, occa^
sions vomiting of a considerable quantity of a frothy fluid, smelling
strongly of the acid; tremors of the limbs, convulsions, tetanus,
protrusion of the eyes, insensibility, paralysis of the limbs, dyspnoea*
croupy cough, hoarseness, &c. The death of the animal supervenes
with symptoms of suffocation, and the fatal termination is often
rapidly induced. Inspection after death exhibits manifest venous
congestion in the brain, spinal marrow, lungs, liver, and spleen,
and in the right side of the heart, with, at times, inflammation of
the stomach. According to Berres, it occasions markedly narcotic
effects. In by no means considerable doses, he found it to cause
violent pain in the stomach and bowels, nausea and vomiting,
general weakness, heaviness, vertigo, convulsions, and even death,
without exhibiting any marked effect upon the vascular system.
In smaller doses, it is said to produce a sensation of burning in the
stomach, and after a time to quicken the pulse, and augment the
cutaneous and renal depurations. Others—and the best observers,
we think—deny it any narcotic properties.!
As an antiseptic, its efficacy is undoubted, and this has been long
known. The creasote is, doubtless, the main agent in producing
this result, and wherever the administration of creasote is indicated,
the use of the pyroligneous acid may be proper.
* See the article Creasote.
f Richter's Specielle Therapie. S. 255, Berlin, 1828.
ACIDUM ACETICUM EMPYREUMATICUM.
u
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
Possessed of the properties described above, the pyroligneous
acid was at once suggested in cases of gangrene and sphacelus, in
which it was successfully used, as well as in cachectic conditions
brought on by the misuse of mercury, and in herpetic, flabby.
fungous, and sloughing ulcers; in porrigo, and in toothach produced
"by caries, the acid being dropped upon cotton and applied to the
hollow tooth. In most of these cases, it was generally exhibited
both internally and externally. Numerous experiments have been
made with it in various affections by different observers; but its
use has been more especially extolled in cases of gangrene, in
which it corrects fcetor, and promotes the separation of the dead
parts.* The physicians of the Berlin Charite experimented with
it in cases of sloughing gangrenous sores with such success, that
they pronounced it an antiseptic of the highest order.f _ Besides the
cases mentioned, it has been advised in excoriated nipples, mixed
with white of egg,J in cancerous and scrophulous affections, in
cancrum oris, in caries of the bones, and as a gargle in scarlet fever.
It has, moreover, been recommended by Buchanan§ in deafness
caused by deficient secretion of the cerumen of the ear, and in
discharges of an offensive character from the meatus auditorius,
as well as from other outlets; in chronic inflammation of the tarsal
edges of the eyelids, and in scabies. In gastromalacia it has been
recommended by Pitschaft|| and Teufel;! in phthisis by Harless,
and in dropsy, diarrhoza, putrid nervous fevers, &c. by Ampach;**
yet, as was before remarked, it is rarely employed internally;
indeed, both externally and internally, it has been greatly sup-
planted by creasote.
MODE OF ADMINISTRATION.
The inequality in the strength of the preparation renders it
difficult to fix upon any precise dose. Of the impure pyroligneous
acid, Sachs administered from five to thirty drops three or four
times a day, in simple or aromatic water.
* Dr. T. Y. Simons, in American journal of the Medical Sciences, vol. v.
t Riecke, Op. cit. S. 9.
j; Dr. Bursharat, in Gazette Medicale, and Amer. Journ. ot the Medical
Sciences, Feb. 1833, p. 503.
§ Illustrations of Acoustic Surgery, Lond. 1825.
|| Med. Chirurg. Zeitung, No. 7, 1625.
IT Annal. fur die gesammte Heilkund. unter der Redact, d. Mitghed. der
Badenseh. Sanitatsk. 2ter Jahrg. 1825.
** Rust's Magazin, B. xvi, H. 2. S. 353, and Richter, Op. cit. B. x. S. 25/,
Berlin, 1628.
12
ACIDUM ACETICUM EMPYREUMATICOTT.
Externally, it is applied both in a pure and dilute state; frs
the former case to ulcers, by means of a pencil, several times in
the day. It is generally diluted with simple water; but in
cases of cancrum oris, sugared water has commonly formed the
diluent. It is also applied at times in the way of cataplasm. As
a wash in porrigo, and as an injection, it may be diluted with
six or eight parts of -water; as a collyrium, the proportion may
be one part of the acid to twelve of water, and it may be
employed, of about the same strength, as a gargle.
Heim has recommended the following application in cancrum
oris.
Mel acidi acetici empyreumatici*
Honey of pyroligneous acid.
R. Acid. acet. empyreum. crud. $iss.
Mellis rosati, |j. M.
To be applied by means of a pencil.
Buchanan advises the following form of injection in cases os
purulent discharges from the meatus auditorius.
Injectio acidi acetici empyreumatici*
Injection of pyroligneous acid.
R. Acid, acetic, empyreum. 3y-
Aquae destillatee, 5vj. M.
Fiat injectio bis die utenda.
The following drops he recommends in cases where the eeru-
men is deficient in quantity.
Guttce acidi acetici empyreumatici.
Drops of pyroligneous acid.
R. Acidi acet. empyreum. crud.
Olei. terebinth, rectif.
Sp. aetheris sulphur, comp. aa. partes aequales. M.
Two drops of this compound are to be dropped every ni^ht
into the meatus auditorius. J &
ACIDUM HYDROCYANICUM. 13
Cataplasma acidi acetici empyreumatici.
Cataplasm of pyroligneous acid.
R. Furfur, ffcss.
Pulv. sem. lin. ?j. M. bene et adde
Acid, acetic, empyreum crud. q. s. ut fiat cataplasma.
To be applied in cases of foul ulcers.
Linimentum acidi acetici empyreumatici.
Liniment of pyroligneous acid.
R. Acid. acet. empyreum. 5ss.
Balsam, peruv. 31J.
Vitell. ovi, q. s. ut fiat linimentum.
To be applied on lint three times a day to sloughs and ulcers.
Collutorium acidi acetici empyreumatici.
Mouth-wash of pyroligneous acid.
R. Acid. acet. empyreum. rectif. ^ss.
Aquae cinnamomi simpl. 5iv.
Syrup, moror. 5ij. M.
Dr. Phobus advises this as a wash for the mouth in cases of
cancrum oris. It should be kept in a glass vessel covered with
black paper to prevent decomposition.
ACIDUM HYDROCYANICUM.
Svnosymes. Acidum Pnissicum, Acidum Borussicum, A. Zooticum, A.
Zootinicum, Hydrocyanic, or Prussic Acid.
French. Acide Hydrocyanique, Acide Prussique.
German. Blausaure, VVasserstoffblausaure, Hydrocyansiiure, Cyanwasser-
stoffsaure.
This acid can scarcely be looked upon as new: yet it is only in
recent times that its application to pathological conditions has been
well aopreciated. It was discovered by Scheele, in 1780; but its
ir 2*
14
ACIDUM HYDROCYANICUM.
preparation in a state of purity, and its exact chemical constitution,
were not understood until Gay-Lussac published the results of his
investigations on the subject in the year 1815.*
METHOD OF PREPARING.
The three chief modes of preparing the hydrocyanic acid, at
present received into the pharmacopoeias, are those of Scheele,
Gay-Lussac, and Vauquelin; the first of which was adopted by
the framers of the United States' Pharmacopoeia of 1820, and by
those of Belgium, Paris, and Ferrara; the second,by the Pharma-
copoeias of Paris and Ferrara; and the third by those of Belgium,
Paris, and the United States.—(Edition of 1830.)
1. Scheele's Method.
Take of Prussian blue, 128 parts.
Red oxide of Mercury, 64 parts.
Distilled water, 105 parts.
Boil for a quarter of an hour, constantly shaking; strain, filter,
and wash the residuum with
Boiling water, 128 parts.
Mix the two liquids together; introduce them into a flask, and
add,
Porphyrised iron filings, 96 parts.
Sulphuric acid, (66°) 24 parts.
Diluted with
Distilled water, 24 parts.
Shake the mixture, and keep the flask for an hour in cold water-
pour the decanted liquid into a tubulated retort placed in a sand
bath to the neck of which is attached an adapter that passes into
a tubulated :receiver, whence a curved tube issues that passes into
a flask filled with water; lute the apparatus; cover the receiver
with wet rags; raise the heat until the liquid boils, and until there
have passed into the receiver—192 parts.
Add to this liquid, of
Carbonate of lime, 8 parts
* Annales de Chimie, torn, lxvii. p. 128, and torn.
ACIDUM HYDROCYANICUM.
m
This process of Scheele always affords an acid mixed with a
variable quantity of water.
2. Gay-Lussac''s Method.
Take cyanide of Mercury, at pleasure.
Introduce it into a tubulated retort, the neck of which is fur-
nished with a wide tube of glass filled with broken marble and.
chloride of calcium, which tube communicates, through a smaller
one, with a bell glass surrounded by a freezing mixture.
Pour on muriatic acid sufficient to rise above the cyanide to
the Height of a finger; heat gradually and moderately, and receive
the condensed product into the bell glass.
The acid, obtained in this way, is anhydrous, and of ther
specific gravity .700..
3. Vauquelin's Method.
Take of
Cyanide of Mercury, 1 part.
Distilled water, 8 parts.
Pass a current of hydro-sulphuric acid gas into the solution,'
until the gas is in excess; pour into the liquid pulverised sub-
carbonate of lead in sufficient quantity to remove the excess of
hydro-sulphuric acid: shake the mixture constantly, and when it
has no longer the smell of putrid eggs, and ceases to blacken
paper impregnated with acetate of lead, filter and preserve it
carefully.
The product of this operation has been considered to approxi-
mate to the average density of the acid of Scheele.*
The variable density of the acid prepared after Scheele's method
has prevented it from being generally used in medicine. The acid
of Gay-Lussac is most commonly employed; but as its degree of
concentration renders it dangerous, it is diluted with distilled
water. Robiquet has proposed to bring its density to .900, by
adding two parts of water to it. Thus reduced, it resembles the
acid of Scheele, with the advantage, that there is a constant and
known ratio between the pure or anhydrous acid, and the quan-
tity of water united with it. Magendie adds to it six times its bulk,
or eight and a half times its weight of distilled water, and calls the
* See Notes on Hydrocyanic acid, by Dr. R. E. Griffith, in Philad. Journ.
of Pharmacy, iv. 17. Philad. 1833; also, Pereira, Elements of Materia
Medica, part i. p. 236. London 1839. The dispensatory of the United States
of America, by Drs. Wood and Bache, 4th edit. p. 748. Philad. 1839, and Mr.
David Stewart, Maryland Medical and Surgical Journal, April, 1840. p. 264,
16
ACIDUM HYDROCYANICUM.
mixture acide prussique medicinal,* medicinal prussic or kydro>
cyanic acid. Others have advised the employment of a mixture
of three parts of water, and one part of acid, under the name
of acide hydrocyanique au quart, or " hydrocyanic acid of quar-
ter strength."!
Dr. Bache asserts, that he has had the process of the United
States' Pharmacopoeia (Proust's or Vauquelin's) repeated, when
he found the acid obtained to have the specific gravity .998.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN HEALTH.
Hydrocyanic acid is usually classed amongst the narcotic
poisons,J yet there is reason for believing, that its ordinary effects
are purely sedative. Whilst the agents belonging to the class of
narcotics produce, first of all, excitation in the organic actions,
followed sooner or later, when the agent is in sufficient dose, by
signs of sedation, this acid occasions the latter results only.
It is the most powerful of our poisons, producing, in an adequate
dose, the fatal result so suddenly, that the animal experimented
upon can scarcely be removed from the lap of the experimenter
before all signs of life are extinct. This rapidity of action nega-
tives the idea, that the acid acts through the mass of blood, and
favours the view of those who believe, that the impression is made
immediately on the nerves of the part with which it is placed in
contact, or on the nerves that are distributed to the lining mem-
brane of the blood vessels, as suggested by Messrs. Addison and
Morgan.§ It seems to us, however, that the same objection applies
to the explanation of these gentlemen as to that which ascribes
the effects to the poison being taken into the blood—that the fatal
result is often too sudden for us to presume that it has entered
the blood vessels; unless we esteem it an agent possessed of
powerfully penetrating properties. In very large doses, the
sensibility of the whole nervous system becomes annihilated
almost with the rapidity of lightning.
A female, who was deceived by the odour of a solution of
hydrocyanic acid in alcohol, drank a small vialful and died in
two minutes, as if struck with apoplexy. A strong healthy man,
thirty-six years of age, being detected in thieving, swallowed a
small vialful of the acid, staggered a few steps, and fell dead.
Four or five minutes afterwards, the physician who was called,
found him lifeless, without the slightest trace of pulse or respira-
* Formulaire pour la preparation etc. de plusieurs nouveaux medicamens.
f Pharmacop£e Universelle, par Jourdan, i. 31. Paris, 1828.
X Christison's Treatise on Poisons, 3d edit. Edinb. 1836.
\ An Essay on the operation of poisonous agents upon the living' bodv
Lond. 1829. s *'
ACIDUM HYDROCYANICUM..
n
tion.. In a few minutes, convulsive expirations were observed^
but no indications of returning life: the face was sunken and
livid; the hands and feet deadly cold; the forehead and face cold
and dry; and the eyes half open and glassy.*
Dr. Damasonf relates the case of a druggist, who had some
hydrocyanic acid in a vial with a ground stopper, and as it had
been prepared almost three months, thinking that it was decom-
posed, he opened the vial, and applied it to his nose to ascertain
whether the acid retained any smell: he instantly fell down, and
remained for half an hour without giving the slightest signs of
life; but finally recovered after an illness of several days.
Many experiments have been made on animals with this acid,
A drop, introduced into the bill or anus of a sparrow, induced
death in from one to two minutes, preceded by convulsions. Even
holding the bill over a vial filled with the acid proved fatal.
A duck was destroyed by fourteen drops.
Twenty drops introduced into the stomach of a rabbit killed
it in three minutes. When a few drops were injected into the
jugular vein, death supervened still sooner.
A small dog, to which two drops had been given, experienced
shortness of breath; staggered, fell, passed its urine repeatedly;
vomited twice, and afterwards seemed quite well.
The same animal took, five hours later, eight drops, and fell
into a tetanic, comatose condition, but recovered in half an hour.
More severe but not fatal effects resulted from sixteen drops.
Thirty to forty drops administered to dogs and cats, produced
violent convulsions and death, in from six to fifteen minutes.
The experiments of Emmert and Coullon seem to have shown
that the action of hydrocyanic acid is more violent when it is
injected into the jugular vein, or inhaled in a concentrated form;
less so when injected into the rectum. In the case of a horse,
into whose jugular it was injected, death occurred in twenty-one
minutes. When placed in contact with the dura mater, or with
nerves, no striking phenomena were perceptible. [?] This fact
was confirmed by Viborg.J On the other hand, when received
into a wound in its concentrated state, it acts most violently.
Scharring, who broke a glass containing the acid, and received
some of it into the wound produced thereby, died in an hour after
the accident.
It is not easy to deduce comparative results from the statements
of different experimenters, inasmuch as we are ignorant of the
* Hufeland, Journal der practisch. Heilkund. Band. xl. St. 1, S. 85 to 92,
and Osann, in Art. Blausaure, in Encyc. Worterb. der Medicinischen Wis-
eenschaft. Band. v. S. 528. Berlin, 1830.
f Journal de Chimie M^dicale. Juin 1831.,
\ Osann, loc. cit. S. 580.
18
ACIDUM HYDROCYANICUM.
precise strength of the acid employed. A French physiciaij
made some experiments on the uncertainty of the strength ot
the medicinal acid; and he found, that he could swallow a whole
ounce of one sample, and a drachm of a stronger sample, with-
out sustaining any injury; but on trying some, which had been
recently prepared by Vauquelin, he was immediately taken ill,
and narrowly escaped with his life.* Mr. Pereirat once caused
the instantaneous death of a rabbit by applying its nose to a
receiver filled with the vapour of the pure acid: the animal died
without a struggle. A drop of the pure acid of Gay-Lussac,
placed in the throat of the most vigorous dog, caused it to fall
dead after two or three hurried respirations.J
We have already alluded to the effect of the acid when dropped
upon the conjunctiva—a mucous surface, and therefore possessed
of highly absorbing powers: but it cannot be placed with im-
punity in contact with surfaces, which, owing to their being
covered with cuticle, do not readily absorb.. Orfila§ states, that a
professor of Vienna, having prepared a pure and concentrated
acid, spread a certain quantity of it on his naked arm, and died
a short time afterwards. Dr. Christison,j| however, says this
was probably a mistake. On repeating some of the experiments,
hel found, that a single drop, weighing scarcely a third of a
grain, dropped into the mouth of a rabbit, killed it in eighty-
three seconds, and began to act in sixty-three seconds; that three
drops, weighing four-fifths of a grain, in like manner killed a
strong cat in thirty seconds, and began to act in ten; that
another was affected by the same dose in five, and died in forty
seconds; that four drops, weighing a grain and a fifth, did not
affect a rabbit for twenty seconds, but killed it in ten seconds
more; and that twenty-five grains, corresponding with an ounce
and a half of medicinal acid, began to act on a rabbit, as soon as
it was poured into its mouth, and killed it outright in ten seconds
at farthest. Three drops, projected" into the eye, acted on a cat
in twenty seconds, and killed it in twenty more; and the same
quantity, dropped on a fresh wound in the loins, acted in forty-
five, and proved fatal in one hundred and five, seconds.
When given in rather too strong a dose, or—if in proper doses
•^•at too short intervals, it produces headach, and vertigo, which
go off, however, in a few minutes: when inhaled, even if diluted
* Revue Medicale, xvii. 265, and Christison on Poisons, 3d edit. p. 690.
Edinb. 1836.
f Op. citat. p. 242.
j Mageudie, in Annales de Chimie et de Physique, vi. 347, and Formu-
lary.
5 Toxicologie.
I! Op. cit. p. 707.
IT Op. cit. p. 694. See also, Dr. Geoghegan, in Dublin Medical Journal,
for 1835, and Pereira, Op. cit. p. 242.
ACIDUM HYDROCYANICUM.
19
with atmosplieric air, it causes vomiting, prostration, pains in the
back part of the head, and great diminution of the arterial pulsa-
tions. In a more concentrated state, the effects are more rapidly
fatal than in any other form of administration. M. Robert found
that when a bird, a rabbit, a cat, and two dogs, were made to
breathe air saturated with its vapour, the first and second died
in one second; the cat in two seconds; one dog in five, and the
other in ten seconds.*
With regard to the parts of the economy that are primarily
acted upon by the hydrocyanic acid, there can be but little doubt
in designating the nervous system.f In no other way can we
readily explain the extreme rapidity of its action in fatal cases.
When once mixed with the blood, however, out of the body, it
altogether changes the character of that fluid, and opposes its
coagulation.^ Some of the German writers^ have endeavoured
to indicate three grades of its action on the economy. First. In
moderate doses, long continued, it occasions a marked diminution
in the action of the nervous and vascular systems; vertigo; dispo-
sition to syncope: epistaxis as a consequence of thinness of the
blood, and a disposition to putrid diseases.|| Secondly. In larger
doses, the sedative effect of the acid on the spinal marrow, and
the abdominal ganglia, is indicated by feelings of weakness, numb-
ness, tremors, and other involuntary motions of the extremities,
involuntary discharge of the urine and fasces, augmentation of the
cutaneous and urinary depurations; palpitations, anxiety at the
prascordia, weak pulse, and> according to some, headach, espe-
cially in the back part of the head; excoriation of the tongue and
inner parts of the cheeks,TI and salivation. This last symptom is
dven by Dr. Christison** on the authority of Drs. Macleod and
Granville.-ff It has been suspected, however, that salivation, in
these cases, was brought about by the use of an impure acid, con-
taining probably a small quantity of the deuto-chloride of mercury,
particularly if the acid had been prepared—according to the pro-
cess of the" Dublin College—with bicyanide of mercury, muriatic
acid and water. Mercury is, indeed, asserted to have been
* Annales de Chimie, xcii. 59.
f Dr. Lonsdale, Ed in. Med. and Surg. Journ. Jan., 1839, and Lond. Lan.
June 15, 1839, p. 440. , T ne1Mn
I Magendie, Lectures on the Blood. Lect. xvu. in Lancet, for Jan. 2b, lb.^y,
p. 636. On its Action when injected into the Vessels; see Mr. Blake, in
Edin. Med. and Surg. Journ. April, 1839, p. 339.
5 Richter, Specielle Therapie, Band, x, S. 280. Berlin, 1828; and Osann,
3oc. cit. S. 527.
|| Encyc. Worterb. B. ii. S. 315.
IT Born, in Rust's Magazin, B. xiii. S. 282.
** Op. citat. p. 701.
ft Lond. Med. and Phys. Journ. xlvi. 359 and 36a
20
ACIDUM HYDROCYANICUM.
actually discovered in the acid by Sylvester's test. Thirdly. Iti
still larger doses, violent affections of the spinal marrow, con-
vulsions, trismus, opisthotonos, emprosthotonos, fainting, &c. are
induced.
From the results of all his observations, Osann* infers, that the
hydrocyanic acid acts dynamically on the nervous system, by
tiiminishing, depressing, and annihilating its life, and, through the
nervous system, affecting the organs of vegetation or nutrition, and
of hasmatosis;—that it incontestably has a specific relation to the
spinal marrow, the ganglions of the abdomen, and the dependent
organs; and hence it is, that, in comparison with other narcotic
agents, it is less stupifying, whilst it influences more deeply the
phenomena of vegetative or organic life. He properly remarks,
however, that the inferences of Jdrg,f from his experiments, are
apparently opposed to this view. Jorg considered its effects upon
the brain to be excitant, and that it occasioned turgescence of that
organ.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
From the effects produced by the hydrocyanic acid on the
healthy body, we may infer the cases of disease in which it may
be indicated. It is decidedly sedative, allaying nervous irritability
and vascular action, and therefore adapted for all cases in which
these are inordinately excited. Yet its power, as a medicinal
agent, is not as great as was at one time presumed, and as is still
presumed by many. In some countries, too, it has found more
favour than in others. In Italy, France and England, it has been
more extensively used than in Germany; yet in many of the Phar-
macopoeias of the last country it has been admitted into the list of
officinal agents. The great objections that have been urged against
it are—its danger, even in a small dose, if not carefully adminis^
tered; the difficulty of having it always of the same strength; the
impossibility of administering it undiluted, and the danger of givino-
too strong a dose in consequence of its rising to the surface of"
water. More than once the difference in the strength of the acid
prepared by different methods, would seem to have o-iven rise to
unfortunate results. OrfilaJ mentions the case of a Sick person
who had used for a length of time the hydrocyanic acid, in
increasing doses, with advantage; when, being compelled to send
her prescription to another apothecary, the acid he employed was
so strong as to produce death, with all the symptoms of poisoning
* Loc. citat. S. 526.
t Materialien zu einer kiinftigen Heilmittellehre. B. i S 53 117
I Toxicologic
ACIDUM HYDROCYANICUM.
21
by hydrocyanic acid. For these and other reasons, Riecke, L.
W. Sachs, and Osann greatly prefer the Aqua laurocerasi and
the Aqua amygdalarum amarum, which, although in other respects
not less objectionable, are far less dangerous.*
Possessed of the powerful sedative agency, which has been
described, it is not to be wondered at, that the hydrocyanic acid
should have been prescribed in a multitude of cases, and, as con-
stantly happens, that unsuccessful trials, suggested by the merest
empiricism, should have been made with it.
In inflammations, especially when accompanied with marked
erethism of the nervous system, it has been greatly extolled, and,
next to blood-letting, has been regarded by many as one of our
most valuable antiphlogistics. The followers of the contro-stimu-
lant school esteem it as one of their most efficacious contro-
stimulants.
In the acute inflammations of internal organs it has been highly
recommended by the Italian physicians, Borda 'and Brera, in
thoracic inflammation, after blood-letting, in conjunction with tar-
tarised^ antimony and similar sedative agents; and by others in
enteritis, metritis and nephritis, and in active hemorrhages.
In chronic inflammations it has been advised by Granville,
Magendie, Heller, Elwert, Behr, Roch, &c, especially in chronic
catarrh, bronchitis, and hooping cough. In the last affection it is
conceived by Dr. Roef to possess a " specific " (?) power. In warm
weather he thinks that it will cure almost any case of simple hooping
cough in a short time; that in all seasons it will abridge its dura-
tion, and in almost every instance, where it does not cure, that it
will, at least, materially relieve the severity of the cough.
In pulmonary consumption it has been recommended by Gran-
ville, Magendie, S. G. Morton, Fantonetti,J and others, particu-
larly where there is any inflammatory or spasmodic complication;
but others, as Neumann, Weitsch, Sir James Clark, Andral,§
Forget,|| and, we may add, ourselves, have given it in these very
cases without any success. By some, indeed, it has been affirmed,
that its administration in phthisis is to be adopted with caution, as
in many cases instead of allaying, it appears to have increased,
* Die neuern Arzneimittel, ihre physischen und chemischenEigensclmften,
Bereitungsweise, Wirkung auf den gesunden und kranken Organisrnus, u. s.
w. von V. A. Riecke, S. 5. Stuttgart, 1837; Osann, loc. citat. and Encyclop.
Wort. ii. 315.
f A Treatise on the Nature and Treatment of Hooping Cough, &c, p. 10.
London, 1838.
\ Gazette des Hopitaux, Fev. 19, 1839.
\ Bulletin General de Therapeutique, Mars. 1840.
|| L'Experience, Nov. 14., 1839; and Atner. Med. Intel., Sept. 1., 1840,
p. 170.
3
22
ACIDUM HYDROCYANICUM.
the cough and fever, diminished the expectoration, and occasioned
a sense of suffocation:* it has been, moreover, asserted, that its
depressing and destructive agency has acted injuriously on the
organism of the consumptive.!
In chronic nervous diseases, especially when of a spasmodic
character—as in spasmodic affections of the heart—even when
organic, the hydrocyanic acid has been advised as a soothing
agent, as well as in spasmodic asthma; in the sense of suffocation
that accompanies hydrothorax and other affections; and in spas-
modic dysphagia.
Its efficacy, too, has been marked, according to Elliotson,J in
various neuropathic disorders of the stomach, especially in those
in which pain at the epigastrium was the leading symptom,—in
every form, indeed, of gastrodynia; and in painful affections of the
boicels, of a similar character, it has been found useful by Mr.
Pereira.§
In enlargement of the heart it was found by Heller to diminish
the force and frequency of the pulsations, and in this way to afford
essential relief. In an old person, labouring under anasarca ac-
companied by great pain in the breast, Rees observed, after the
administration of Vauquelin's acid, great diuresis, with the removal
of the dropsy and its concomitant symptoms.||
In the asthma pulverulentum of the Germans, (Staubasthma,)
that is, in the variety to which millers, bakers, grinders and others
are liable, Creutswicher is said to have found it highly serviceable.*!!
Its efficacy has not been so marked in epilepsy, chorea and
kindred affections; yet it has been strongly recommended in tetanus.
Trevezant ordered it in a case of traumatic tetanus, after opium
had been given in vain, in the dose of from two to twelve drops
with favourable results.** On the other hand, Klein gave it in a
similar case, with no other apparent effect than that of rendering
death more easy .-ft It has likewise been advised in spasmodic^
pains of the uterus.
Yet, although it would seem to be soothing and antispasmodic
* Schneider, Med. PraktAdversarien am Krankenbette,Erste Lie
Decoct, malvae. tijj. M.
The bottle should be shaken before each application.
All these formulae are objectionable for the reasons before as-
signed, and it is consequently better to drop the acid at the time
of using it, taking care that it has not lost its properties.
ACIDUM LACTIS.
Synonvmes. Acidum Lacteum, Lactic Acid, Acid of Milk.
French. Acide Lactique.
German. Milchsaure.
This acid is recommended as a therapeutical agent by Magendie
in the last edition of his Formulaire.f
METHOD OF PREPARING.
Lactic acid may be obtained either from milk or from the juice
of the red beet. In the latter case, the juice is put in a situation
the temperature of which is between 77° and 86° Fah. After the
lapse of a few days, a commotion is observed in the mass, which
is known under the name "viscous fermentation," {fermentation
visqueuse,) and hydrogen and carburetted hydrogen are evolved
in considerable quantity. When the mass has become fluid again,
and the fermentation has ended, which generally requires about
two months, it is evaporated to the consistence of syrup; the whole
then becomes traversed by a multitude of mannitic crystals, which,
when washed with a small quantity of water and dried, are en-
tirely pure.
The mass,moreover, contains a saccharine matter, which affords
all the ,signs of the sugar of the grape.
The product of the evaporation is next treated with alcohol;
this dissolves the lactic acid, and precipitates several substances,
* Tweedie's Libr. of Med., v. 288, Lond. 1840.
t Formulaire pour la preparation et l'emploi de plusieura nouveaux medi-
caraens, &c. Edit. 9eme. Paris, 1836.
28
ACIDUM LACTIS-
which have not yet been examined. The alcoholic extract is then
dissolved in water, which occasions a fresh precipitation. The
liquid is now saturated with carbonate of zinc, and by this means
a fresh precipitation is effected, more copious than the preceding,
By concentration, the lactate of zinc shoots into crystals, which
are collected and heated in water, to which animal charcoal, pre-
viously washed in muriatic acid, has been added: the fluid is then
filtered, and the lactate of zinc is deposited in perfectly white
crystals: these are washed in boiling alcohol, in which they are
insoluble; afterwards they are treated with baryta, and then with
sulphuric acid, which separates the lactic acid, which is finally
concentrated in vacuo.*
Mitscherlichf gives the following process for preparing it pure,
Lactate of lead, formed in the usual way, is decomposed by sul-
phate of zinc, the sulphate of lead is separated, and the lactate of
zinc crystallised by evaporation; this is at first yellow, but by re-
peated crystallisations, it is obtained of a pure white. The solution
of this lactate is decomposed by pure baryta; the oxide of zinc
separated, and the lactate of baryta, which is in solution, is de-
composed by sulphuric acid, and the fluid evaporated; this yields
a clear, colourless, syrupy, not volatile acid, which is decomposed
and leaves a residue of charcoal, when heated at a sufficiently
high temperature.
Milk, which has been suffered to ferment for a long while, and
is treated in the same way, affords lactic acid. Corriol has like-
wise detected it in an aqueous infusion of the nux vomica,
When concentrated in vacuo, until it parts with no more water,
lactic acid is a colourless liquid, of syrupy consistence; its specific
gravity being about 1.215. It is inodorous, but of a very sour
taste, similar to that of the strongest vegetable acids. When
exposed to the air, it attracts moisture. Water and alcohol dis-
solve it in all proportions. One of its most striking properties,
which is of especial interest to the physician, is, that it quicklv
dissolves phosphate of lime, especially that which is contained in
bones.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
As lactic acid seems to play a part amongst the juices which
effect the solution of the food in the stomach, Magendie thinks it
may be given with advantage in cases of dyspepsia produced by
simple debility of the digestive apparatus; and his experiments
afforded him very encouraging results. In consequence too of the
facility with which is dissolves the phosphate of lime, it has been
suggested, whether it might not be administered with advantage in
* Gay Lussac & Pelouze, Annales de Chimie et de Phvsique. Avril 1833
(Tom. lii. 410.) y 4 '^VIU' ±00°
t Report to British Association, 2d meeting, and Philad. Journ. of Phar-
macy, vi. 83. Philad. 1834-5.
ACONITINA. 29
cases of white gravel, or, in other words, of phosphatic depositions
from the urine. Magendie has not yet been able to institute ex-
periments on this matter. At the time when the edition of his
Formulary, to which wre have referred, was published, he had com-
menced some clinical experiments with the lactate of potassa, and
the lactate of soda, but without any results worthy of being com-
municated to the profession. He recommends these salts, how-
ever, to the attention of physicians.
MODE OF ADMINISTRATION.
Magendie gives the lactic acid either in the form of lemonade
OX of lozenges.
Potus Acidi Lactis.
Lemonade of lactic acid.
&. Acid. lact. liquid. 3j. ad 3iv,
Aqua3,fbij.
Syrupi, 5ij. M.
Pastilli Acidi Lactis.
Lozenges of lactic acid.
R. Acid. lact. pur. 3ij«
Sacch. pulv. 5j.
Gum. tragac. q. s.
01. aether, vanigl. gtt. iv. M.
Make into Lozenges weighing half a dram each.
Let the Lozenges be kept in a well closed vessel. Of these,,
from two to six may be taken in the 24 hours without any evil
consequences.
ACONITINA.
Synonymes. Aconitia, Aconitium, Aconitine.
German. Akonitin.
This active principle, which was discovered by Peschier.* and
by Brandes, has been recommended of late by Turnbull,f whose
* Tromrasdorf's Journal der Pharmacie, v. 84.
f On the medical properties of the natural order Ranunculacese, and more
particularly on the uses of sabadilla seeds, delphinium staphysagna and
aconitum napellus, and their alcaloids, veratria, sabadilline, delphjnia and
aconitine, chap. iii. Lond. 1835.
30
ACONITINA.
eulogies on the medical virtues of the natural order Ranunculaceoa
are evidently overstrained.
MODE OF PREPARING.
Turnbull gives two processes; the former being the more easy
of manipulation; the latter yielding a purer result, and on the
whole being preferable.
A quantity of the fresh root of the aconitum napellus, being
very carefully and cautiously dried and reduced to powder,—one
part of it by weight, and two parts by measure, of strong alcohol,
are to be digested together at a gentle heat for seven days, and
the tincture, whilst warm, is to be filtered. It must then be
reduced to the consistence of an extract, by careful evaporation,
at a low and well regulated temperature; the object of this being
to prevent the destruction or expulsion of the active principle,
which would very probably ensue, if' the temperature employed
were higher than barely sufficient to carry off the alcohol. To
the extract, thus prepared, liquid ammonia is to be added, drop
by drop, and mixed well with it, to precipitate the alcaloid; in
this part of the process care must be taken that too much be not
added, as in some instances the product appears to have been
decomposed by inattention to this circumstance. It is not easy
to give a precise rule as to the quantity; but enough will have
been added, if the extract exhales the odour of ammonia when
stirred. The mass now consists of impure aconitine, mixed with
a quantity of extractive, and other matters soluble in water, and
it may be taken up either by boiling alcohol, or by sulphuric ether;
or the soluble matter may be removed by repeated washings with
small quantities of cold water, which will leave the aconitine.
This latter process, Turnbull says, is the one he has generally
employed, and it is performed by pouring a little water on the
extract, and mixing them carefully together; then allowing the
undissolved part to subside, pouring oft" the fluid, and repeating the
operation as long as any soluble matter is taken up: a quantity of
light brown or gray powder is left, which may be purified by
subsequent solution in alcohol. This powder contains the active
properties of the aconite, in a high degree of concentration.
The second process consists in dissolving the alcoholic extract,
prepared as above, without the addition of the ammonia, in as
much cold water as will take it up, and carefully decantino- the
solution from the insoluble part, and filtering it. To the filtered
solution liquid ammonia is to be added, drop by drop, as long as
any precipitation is occasioned. When the precipitate has subsided,
the supernatant fluid must be carefully poured off, or drawn off by
means of a syphon; and after the precipitate has been deprived of
as much of the fluid as possible, it should be purified by a sufi>
ACONITINA.
31
cient number of washings with small quantities of cold water, or,
what is better, it may be dissolved in as much alcohol as will
take it up, and the solution be thrown into cold water; the
precipitate thus formed is to be carefully dried. The product
obtained by this process is white.
The London college, in their Pharmacopoeia, of 1836, give
'he following form.—Take of aconite root, dried and bruised,
two pounds; rectified spirit, three gallons; dilute sulphuric
acid, solution of ammonia, and purified animal charcoal, of
each a sufficient quantity. Boil the aconite with a gallon of
the spirit for an hour, in a retort with a receiver fitted to
it. Pour off the liquor, and again boil the residue with ano-
ther gallon of the spirit, and with the spirit recently distilled,
and pour off the liquor also. Let the same be done a third time.
Then press the aconite, and having mixed all the liquors and
filtered them, distil the spirit. Evaporate the remainder to the
proper consistence of an extract. Dissolve this in water and
filter. Evaporate the solution with a gentle heat, so that it may
thicken like syrup. To this add dilute sulphuric acid, mixed
with distilled water sufficient to dissolve the aconitine. Next drop
in solution of ammonia, and dissolve the aconitine which is thrown
down in dilute sulphuric acid, mixed as before with water; then mix
in the animal charcoal, occasionally shaking for a quarter of an
hour. Lastly, filter; and having again dropped in solution of
ammonia so as to precipitate the aconitine, wash and dry it.*
Well prepared aconitine, according to Geiger, is a firm,
colourless, and translucent mass; of a shining appearance, friable
and inodorous: the taste is disagreeably bitter, leaving behind it
an acrid sensation in the throat, but not corrosive or burning.
The aconitine does not dissolve readily in water; at the ordinary
temperature it requires one hundred and fifty parts thereof, but
only fifty parts of boiling water. Tincture of iodine occasions
in the solution a reddish brown precipitate; the tincture of galls
a white one. It forms, With the acids, for the most part, salts
that are not crystallisable, which readily dissolve both in water
and spirit of wine.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
The effects of aconitine appear to be essentially analogous to
those of delphinine. A grain of the first of the two preparations
described by Turnbull was dissolved in a dram of alcohol:
twenty drops of the solution put into the mouth of a guinea pig
occasioned death in a few minutes. Other experiments, too, have
been performed, all of which demonstrate the extreme activity of
the substance. If a grain or two of aconitine or veratrine or
* See, also, the Dispensatory of the United States of America, by Drs. Wood
and Bache, 4th edit. p. 761, Philad. 1839.
32
ACONITINA.
delphinine be mixed up with a little lard, or dissolved in a dram
of alcohol, and a small quantity be rubbed on the skin, a sensation
of heat and tingling is experienced after the friction has been
persevered in for a minute or two. There is a slight difference,
however, in the effects produced, and the resemblance is greatest
between those of the delphinine and the aconitine.
When a small quantity of aconitine, says Turnbull, either made
into an ointment, or dissolved in alcohol, is rubbed for a minute
or two upon the skin, a sensation of heat and prickling is
experienced; to this succeeds a feeling of numbness and con-
striction in the part, as if a heavy weight were laid upon it, or as
if the skin were drawn together, by the powerful and involuntary
contraction of the muscles beneath. This effect lasts from two
or three to twelve or more hours, according to the quantity rub-
bed in. So small a portion as the one hundredth part of a grain
has produced a sensation that has continued a whole day.
Whilst employing the aconite itself in his clinical practice, Dr<
Lombard,* of Geneva, tried its effects on animals, and chiefly in
reference to its action on the heart. , The experiments were made
on frogs, whose hearts beat with great regularity, and for a consi-
derable time after the animal has been mutilated. The medicine
was introduced into the stomach or applied locally to the heart,
which was laid bare after the animal had been stupified by blows
on the head. He found, that the aconite employed internally
rendered the pulsations less frequent, without irregularity, and
consequently that it exerted a decidedly sedative effect on the
heart; whence he infers, that it is a proper remedy in active
diseases of the heart, and indeed in inflammatory affections in
general, in which he exhibited it with success. In cases of poi-
soning by it, the contractions of the heart have been found
diminished, and almost suspended,! and tne hornceopathists
regard it to be an energetic antiphlogistic.
The diseases, in which Turnbull chiefly employed aconitine
externally, were of the neuralgic kind; but he used it as well in
gouty and rheumatic cases, and its success, he remarks, fully
answered his anticipations. He employs it either in the form of
solution in alcohol, in the proportion of one or more grains to the
dram,—or of ointment, made according to the following formula:
R. Aconitin. gr. ij.
Alcohol, gtt. vj. Tere optime
et adde adipis, Jj. ut fiat unguentum.
The alcohol is added to prevent the aconitine from forming a
thick compound with part of the lard, so as to render it difficult to
* Gazette Medicale de Paris, Oct. 10,1835.
| Orfila, Toxicologic, ii. 221.
ACONITINA.
33
make a proper ointment. In one case of tic douloureux, of
extreme severity, as much as eight grains was prescribed in the
ointment with the most marked benefit. The best mode of
applying it is simply to rub a small portion of it over the whole
seat of the affection, until the pain is either for the time removed,
or until the full effect described above, is induced on the cutaneous
nerves, and the friction should be repeated three or four times,
or more frequently, during the day, according to the effect on
the disease; the proportion of the aconitine being increased at
every second or third rubbing.
Turnbull found, in the case of the aconitine—as well as in that
of the veratrine, and the delphinine—that unless the friction
occasioned a full development of the peculiar impressions caused
by the aconitine, when rubbed on the skin, no benefit whatever
was to be looked for from its employment; and he observes, that
if there be the slightest abrasion of the skin, an application of
such activity should riot be resorted to; and that it should be
carefully kept from coming in contact with any of the mucous
membranes.
Mr. F. C. Skey* details two cases which were cured by it. It
was rubbed down into an ointment with lard, in the proportion of
one grain of the former to one dram of the latter, and applied in
a small quantity by the forefinger over the track of the painful
nerve, and was gently rubbed or rather smeared over the surface
for half a minute or longer, once or twice a day, according to
the degree of pain.
Turnbull likewise advises the external application of an ammo-
niated extract of aconite, which is made by evaporating very
carefully, and at a low temperature, the tincture of the dried root
of the plant, prepared as directed in the process for obtaining
aconitine, to the consistence of an extract. To every dram of
this, eight or ten drops of liquor ammonias should be added, and
after the mixture has stood a short time in a very gentle heat,
to drive off the excess of ammonia, it may be used in the form
of an ointment, according to the following prescription:
R. Ext. aconit. ammon. 3j
Adipis. 3iij« Misce ut fiat unguentum.
When this ointment is rubbed upon the skin, it occasions sensa-
tions in the part similar to those produced by the aconitine oint-
ment ; they are, however, rather more pungent.
In less severe cases, Turnbull advises the simple saturated
tincture of the dried roots, with or without the addition of a little
ammonia.
The alcoholic extract of aconite has likewise been advised by
* London Med. Gaz. Nov. 5.1836.
4
34
*'•*»* ^
t Lancet, Aujj. 25, 1838, p. 770.
j Journal de Pharmacie, xx, 399. Paris, 1833.
§ Fonnulaire—-derniere edition.
.ETHER. HYDKOCYANICUS.
43
cyanic acid, without being so violent a poison, and, consequently,
he esteems it worthy of regard as an addition to the materia
medica.
MODE OF PREPARING.
Equal parts of sulpho-vinate of baryta and cyanide of potassium
are mixed intimately together, put into a glass retort, to which a
tubulated receiver is adapted, and exposed to a moderate tempera-
ture. By distillation, a colourless, or slightly yellowish fluid is
obtained, which separates into two distinct strata. The lighter
consists chiefly of hydrocyanic ether, which is not pure however,
but mixed with water, alcohol, sulphuric ether, and hydrocyanic
acid. In order to purify it, it must be strongly shaken, and, with
four or five times its bulk of water, must be exposed for some
time to a temperature of 60° or 70° centigrade j it must be again
agitated with a little water, decanted, suffered to remain in con-
tact with chloride of lime for twenty-four hours, and then dis-
tilled. The ether thus obtained is pure. It is a colourless fluid,
of a penetrating, disagreeable garlicky odour. Specific gravity
0.78. It boils at 82° centigrade; is very slightly soluble in water,
but soluble in every proportion in alcohol and sulphuric ether. In
its pure state it does not disturb a solution of nitrate of silver. It
inflames very readily, and burns with a blue light. Caustic po-
tassa decomposes it with difficulty, and only when highly con-
centrated.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
Six drops of this ether placed in the throat of a dog, occasioned,
in a short time, deep respiratory efforts: the dog fell on its side
and convulsions succeeded, with considerable motion of the paws.
This condition continued for four minutes, after which the effects
gradually disappeared, and in the course of half an hour passed
away. Six drops injected into the jugular vein rapidly caused
death, with symptoms similar to those induced by the hydrocyanic
acid. According to Magendie, these experiments were frequently
repeated by him with different modifications, after which he ven-
tured upon its administration in disease. He added six drops of
the ether to a mucilaginous linctus, and prescribed it to a patient
labouring under hooping-cough, who, in the course of a few days,
derived signal benefit from it, and without complaining of its pene-
trating, disagreeable odour. The same good effects happened to
several patients to whom he gave it in the Hotel Dieu. But
although the results were favourable in cases in which the hydro-
cyanic acid was indicated, he found it necessary to discontinue
its use, on account of the invincible nausea which its smell induced.
Magendie advises it in those diseases in which mixtures of the
hydrocyanic acid have been found of service.
44 AQUA AMYGDALARUM.
AQUA AMYCxDALARUM, (CONCENTRATA.)
Synonymes. Water of Bitter Almonds.
French. Eau d'Amandes Ameres.
German. Bittermandelwasser.
The water of bitter almonds has been received into many of the
modern Pharmacopoeias;—into those of Bavaria, Pans, Ferrara,
Hanover, Hesse, and Prussia, for example.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
The Pharmacopoeia of Prussia directs it to be prepared in the
following manner:—Take two pounds of bitter almonds, bruise
well, and add—whilst triturating them—ten pounds of spring
water, and four ounces of highly rectified spirit of wine. Let the
mixture rest for twenty-four hours in a well closed vessel, and
then distil two pounds. The product must be kept in a well
stopped bottle.
The inequality in the strength of the aqua lauro-cerasi and of
the medicinal hydrocyanic acid suggested this preparation, which
was extolled by Hufeland for its uniformity. Its effect is entirely
like that of the aqua lauro-cerasi, but its greater regularity in
strength and action has not been confirmed.
i Giese found the quantity of hydrocyanic acid contained in the
product of the above formula half less than that in the cherry
laurel water; and Jorg, from his experiments upon himself and
others, proved it to be much weaker and more uncertain.
Neither this preparation, nor the distilled aqua lauro-cerasi, is
employed in this country, or in Great Britain. Every objec-
tion made to the hydrocyanic acid seems to be equally applicable
to them.
AQUA BINELLI.
45
AQUA BINELLI.
Synonymes. Aqua Balsamica Arterialis.
German. Binellisches Wasser.
Not many years ago, this Italian nostrum was vaunted through-
out Europe, as a styptic in every kind of hemorrhage—both when
internally and externally administered. By several enlightened
Italian physicians—Cotugno, Antonucci, Santoro, and others, it
was found highly serviceable, and Von Grafe* thought, at first,
that he had observed good effects from it. This opinion was
confirmed by the observations of Kosch, Vrolick, Metzger, &c.f
Subsequently, however, not only he but Simon,J Dieffenbach,§
and Dr. John Davy,|| found that it was not possessed of more effi-
cacy than simple cold water.Tf
The new haemostatic received its name, Acqua BineUi, from
Dr. Fidele Binelli, the inventer. It was a perfectly transparent
fluid, almost tasteless, having a slightly empyreumatic odour; but
neither the presence of salt, alkali, earth, nor acid, could be de-
tected by the senses.
The first public trials, to test the efficacy of the liquid in arrest-
ing hemorrhage, were instituted at Turin, in 1797, by order of the
government, the results of which were esteemed favourable. Soon
after this Binelli died, and the secret for making the preparation
is said to have died with him; but in the years 1829 and 1830,
the successors of Binelli affirmed, that they had discovered the
secret, and fresh experiments were instituted and repeated in Ger-
many. Various blood-vessels were divided on animals,—the
femoral and carotid arteries, and the internal jugular veins;—and
the cuts were made in every direction; some longitudinally, some
obliquely, others completely across, and, in all cases, the hemor-
rhage yielded as soon as charpie, or lint, steeped in the acqua
* Griife's Journal, Bd. xvii. p. 650.
t Ibid. Bd. xxvi.
X Horn's. Archiv. 1833, Sept. und Oct., s. 926.
\ Hecker's Literarische Annalen, 1833, s. 486.
|| Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, July, 1833, and Researches
physiological and anatomical, by John Davy, M. D., F.R.S.,&c, &c i, 344 Lond.
1839; or Dunglison's American Medical Library edition. Phila., 1840.
IT E. Qrafe, Art. Kreosot. in Encyclopadisches Worterbuch der medici-
nischen wissenschaften, Bd. xx. S. 536. Berlin, 1839.
5
46
AQUA BINELLI.
binelli, was applied and pressed gently against the wound for
five or ten minutes.
Encouraged by the results of these experiments, the liquid was
tried on man and with advantage; but it was soon found, that the
results were not owing to any properties of the liquid, but to the
cold, moisture, and appropriate pressure.
The author has given the results of the experiments and
observations of Dr. John Davy in another work.* They convey
interesting information as regards the physiology, pathology, and
therapeutics of wounded vessels, and impart a useful lesson to
the inquirer—not to deduce inferences from inadequate data,
without having investigated eiTery collateral circumstance that
may bear upon a question. The results of Dr. Davy's experiments
show how hemorrhage from wounding a large artery, which
would be speedily fatal, may be readily arrested by moderate
compression with several folds of linen or cotton moistened with
water; and they farther show how, under this moderate com-
pression, the wound in the artery may heal, and the vessel
remain pervious, without the supervention of aneurism. Dr.
Davy lays stress on moderate pressure, such as may still allow
the blood to pass through the canal of the artery.
At the meeting of the British Association in 1839,f Dr. Ma-
cartney, of Dublin, in alluding to the powers which nature pos-
sesses to repress hemorrhage provided the cut surfaces be treated
as an open wound with cold applications, related a case in which,
after amputation of the hand of a child, the stump was dressed
with lint kept wet with cold water, and in which no ligature was
applied or required. This Dr. Macartney deemed to be the
first case on record, in which amputation was performed without
the application of a ligature.
It has been suggested, that the acqua binelli may be indebted
for its fancied haemostatic property to creasote in some form, but
Dr. Davy's explanation appears all sufficient to account for the
phenomena. Under these circumstances we may follow the ex-
ample of Riecke,J and pass it by with this cursory notice.
* General Therapeutics, p. 198. Philad. 1836.
oL^V^ln^ AUg' 81, 1839' and AmeriCan Medical Intel%encer,
* Die neuern Arzneimittel. S. 28. Stuttgart, 1837.
AQUA PICIS LIQUIDS.
47
A. PICIS LIQUIDS.
Synonymes. Aqua Picis, Aqua Picea^ Infusum Ficis Liquids seu Picis
Empyreumaticse Liquids, Potio Picca, Tar Water.
French. Eau de Goudron.
German. Theerwasser.
This preparation, at one time so much extolled, and recom-
mended on the authority of the celebrated Bishop Berkeley, but
which had almost fallen into total disuse, has been recently
revived, more especially since it has been found to contain crea-
sote. It was first employed extensively in England about the
middle of the last century, and was drunk not simply as a thera-
peutical but as a prophylactic agent, so that, Riecke facetiously
remarks, almost as much tar-water was consumed by the inhabi-
tants of London, as beer and other drinks !*
As commonly happens in such cases, practitioners passed from
one extreme to the other, and as they gradually found the tar
water was not capable of accomplishing all that had been
ascribed to it, they ultimately neglected it altogether. Still, for-
mulas for its preparation exist in many Pharmacopoeias—in those
of Dublin, Bavaria, Brunswick, Paris, Russia, Saxony, Sweden,
and Wirtemberg, for example.
The water takes up from the tar a small portion of acetic acid,
creasote, and resinous matter; and it was formerly much praised
as a remedy in pulmonary consumption, and as a diuretic; its
virtues, however, appear to rest almost wholly on the con-
tained creasote.
Some years ago, Arnheimer, of Duisburg, recalled the attention
of practitioners to it as a remedy in many chronic cutaneous affec-
tions, especially of the herpetic kind; and he asserted, that he
found no remedial agent more valuable when its use was perse-
vered in for one or two months to the extent of a pint or two
daily. Arnheimer directed patients to prepare it for themselves
in the following manner. A pound of tar was put into a deep
porcelain dish, and a quart of water poured upon it; for half an
hour it was stirred with a spoon; the mixture was then allowed
to stand for twenty-four hours; the tar remaining on the surface
* Die neuern Arzneimittel. S. 38. Stuttgart. 1837.
48
AQUA PICIS LIQUID^.
of the water was skimmed off, and the clear fluid put into well
stopped bottles.
He advises, that a large quantity should not be prepared at
once, as the water in time becomes ropy and its golden yellow
colour is changed to a darker hue. It is generally taken without
any repugnance.
Since the discovery of creasote, tar wrater has received fresh
consideration, and it is not improbable that it may come again
into more general use, as it appears, from recent experiments,
that there are cases where it would seem to merit a preference
over creasote. M. Petrequin has lately made some trials with
both in chronic catarrh, and in different stages of phthisis.*
The number of cases communicated by him is twenty-three;
of these seven were cases of chronic catarrh, in which creasote
was given; generally the cough was mitigated by it, but in two
cases no effect was produced on that symptom. The expectora-
tion was usually diminished or facilitated: in two cases, how-
ever, no advantage was derived from it, and in one case the
sputa were bloody. In the majority of the cases, the dyspnoea
ceased; in others, it continued; and in the same number of cases
the pain in the breast was relieved by its use.
As to its effects on the digestive organs, it several times excited
thirst; but the most marked result was the sensation of burning,
which it caused, in the majority of cases, in the digestive tube or
in the breast. In two cases it exhibited no influence on an
existing diarrhoea, whilst in two others it appeared to diminish
the number of the evacuations. Iii two cases it excited vomit-
ing, and commonly produced nausea. On the whole, in the
greater number of cases it appeared to render good service, but
in one it was of no avail, and in another it seemed to aggravate
the affection.
In four cases of incipient phthisis, treated with creasote, M.
Petrequin obtained the following results. Although in one in-
stance, the cough was aggravated; in the majority of cases the
opposite was the fact. The expectoration was facilitated but
diminished in quantity; the dyspnoea was more or less improved,
and in two cases the pain in the chest was relieved. In this dis-
ease, also, the creasote excited burning in the epigastrium or
chest, and in one instance fugitive sensations of heat and creep-
ing in the limbs. In one case the benefit was striking, in two the
improvement was to a less extent, and in one the disease was
augmented.
Four other cases were of advanced phthisis. In most of them
the cough was more or less improved,—never increased; the
* Gazette Medicale de Paris, No. 45. Nov. 5,1836.
AQUA PICIS LIQUIDS.
49
oppression remained much the same, but in one case it became
more severe. As regards the effects upon the digestive organs,
they were much the same as in the first class of cases. The
improvement in one case was insignificant; in two others but
slight, and in the fourth case the affection was aggravated.
M. Petrequin directs tar water to be prepared by digesting
an ounce of tar in a quart {pinte) of water for eight days, and
then filtering. It is taken mixed with milk, and to the extent of
from eight to twelve ounces in the day. With this preparation,
he treated three cases of chronic catarrh. The cough was
always improved by it, the expectoration diminished or facili-
tated; the dyspnoea alleviated or removed, and the pains in the
chest improved or dissipated.
In two cases, it appeared to act beneficially on vomiting which
accompanied the cough. The appetite was improved, and in one
case diarrhoea appeared to be diminished, whilst in two others,
existing constipation yielded during its use. In all the cases,
sleep was restored. On the urinary secretion it exerted no in-
fluence, and it neither excited thirst nor nausea like creasote.
In three cases of incipient phthisis, its action was more bene-
ficial than that of creasote. The cough was always ameliorated,
the expectoration facilitated or diminished, and the dyspnoea and
thoracic pain relieved. In one case, it seemed to act favourably
on accompanying emesis, and in another to quench the thirst.
It excited or improved the appetite, and aided digestion.
In one case of advanced phthisis, the alleviation produced by
the tar water was beyond all expectation, but in another the
disease had proceeded so far that it was wholly unsuccessful.
So far, then, as M. Petrequin's experiments go, they would seem
to show that advantage may be derived, in the cases in question,
from the administration of creasote and tar water; and that the
latter is perhaps possessed of properties which the other has not
—to the same degree at least. The cases are, however, too few
to enable us to deduce any thing entirely satisfactory.
Fresh experiments will doubtless be instituted, which may ena-
ble us to infer positively on matters that must as yet be considered
involved in doubt.*
We have administered it freely in phthisis, as well as in chronic
bronchitis. In the latter affection, it has relieved cases, in which
the accustomed excitant expectorants are found to be serviceable.
The same has been the fact in the former disease; but farther
than this no advantage has accrued from its administration.
* Deslande?, Diet, de Medec. et de Chirurgie prat, xi, 233.
5*
50
ARGENTI PR^PARATA.
In a late French periodical,* some cases are published from the
records of the hospitals for 1829 and 1830, during the attendance
of the late Professor Dupuytren, in which injections of tar water
were successfully administered in catarrhus vesica;, along with
the use of pills of turpentine. -
The tar water was made by infusing in the cold, for a night, a
pound of tar in ten pounds of spring water, filtering and warming
the solution before using it. Large quantities of this were in-
jected through an elastic gum catheter, which was forthwith
withdrawn and the patient directed to retain the injection as long
as possible. The injection was repeated daily, and Venice tur-
pentine was administered internally in the form of pills.
ARGENTI PR^PARATA.
Synonymes. Preparations of Silver.
German- Silberpraparate.
Of the preparations of silver, the nitrate is the only one that has
been much used, and this chiefly as an external application. Re-
cently, however, the attention of physicians has been directed to
the internal use of many of those preparations, and especially by
M. Serre,f- professor of surgical clinics at Montpellier. This
gentleman commenced his first trials in May, 1835, in the civil
and military hospital of St. Eloi. At this time there was an un-
usual number of syphilitic patients in the wards, of which the
most severe and appropriate cases were selected for treatment by
the preparations of silver, the chloride, cyanide, and iodide. Trials
were also made with the divided metallic silver, the oxide of sil-
ver, and the chloride of ammonia and silver. At first these pre-
parations were administered iatraleiptically; the chloride, the
cyanide, and the iodide in the quantity of one twelfth of a grain;
the chloride of silver and ammonia in the quantity of one four-
teenth of a grain; and the oxide of silver and the divided silver
in the dose of one eighth, and one quarter of a grain, respectively.
* La Lancette Franchise, Avril 8, 1837.
t Bulletin General de Therapeutique, 1836.
ARGENTI PR^PARATA.
51
M. Serre soon found that these doses were generally too small:
he therefore raised that of the chloride and the iodide to one tenth
and one eighth of a grain, without the slightest inconvenience re-
sulting. The other preparations were also increased in the same
proportion, with the exception of the chloride of silver and am-
monia, which requires more precaution than any of the other
preparations.
M. Serre did not restrict himself to the iatraleiptic administra-
tion of these substances, but employed them internally in the form
of pill, and externally as local applications. The formulae pre-
ferred by him were the following:—
Pulvis Argenti Chloridi.
Powder of chloride of silver.
R. Argent, chlorid. gr.j. %
Pulv. irid. florent. gr. ij.
Reduce to a fine powder, and divide into eight or ten portions;
to be rubbed on the tongue.
Pilulce Argenti et Ammonice Chloridi.
Pills of chloride of silver and ammonia.
R. Argent, et amnion, chlorid. gr. j.
Pulv. irid. florent. gr. ij.
Conservas flor. tilise q. s. ut fiat massa in pilulas xiv dividenda.
For internal use,
Unguentum Oxidi Argenti.
Ointment of oxide of silver.
R. Oxid. argent, gr. xx.
Adipis. 5j- Misce, ut fiat unguentum.
When the iodide or cyanide is substituted for the oxide of sil-
ver, ten or twelve grains of these may be added to the ounce of
lard.
52 ARGENTI PR^PARATA.
M. Serre describes several cases of syphilis in which the pre-
parations of silver were administered according to the above
forms. The first patient was a soldier, 26 years old, of athletic
constitution, who, at the time of his admission into the hospital,
had several large chancres on the prepuce, so-close to each other
as to seem to form one large circular ulceration, five or six lines
in diameter. After a few days' rest, and the use of baths, M.
Serre ordered the chloride of silver in friction on the tongue in
the quantity of one twelfth of a grain. The ulcers were treated
with simple cerate {ceratum galeni) spread on lint. After the
second rubbing, the patient experienced violent colicky pains,
which were not severe enough, however, to induce a discontinu-
ance of the remedy. Scarcely had a grain of the chloride been
employed, when the secretion from the ulcerated parts became
less: the surface of the chancres lost the kind of grayish border
which they possessed, and the cicatrisation proceeded rapidly.
The frictions were continued, and the condition of the patient
went on improving. At the end of two months he left the hos-
pital.
In the five subsequent cases the same plan of treatment was
pursued. The chloride was used exclusively according to the
iatraleiptic method. The symptoms were various; in addition to
chancres, there was in one case a suppurating bubo; in another,
syphilitic vegetations at the margin of the anus; and in a thirdj
fissures in the same part. In the seventh case, in which there
were chancres, gonorrhoea, and extensive rugous blotches on the
nates, the chloride of silver was rubbed on the tongue, and applied
topically in the form of ointment. The eighth patient, who suf-
fered with large condylomata, as well as with ulcers in the neck,
took the chloride in pills to the extent of nine grains in the course
of the treatment; frictions with the ointment of silver were also
applied to the affected parts.
M. Serre deduces from all his experiments the following
amongst other conclusions. First. The preparations of silver have
this great advantage over those of mercury, that they never oc-
casion salivation, nor do they induce in the intestinal canal or in
the respiratory organs, the disagreeable effects that are too often
caused by 'mercury.. Secondly. That should their therapeutical
agency be confirmed by experience, and they be introduced into
hospital practice, great advantage will be derived as respects
the purity of the wards, and the cleanness of the bedclothes
&c. Thirdly. That patients can be treated by them in secret
as well as when travelling, without fear of detection. Fourthly.
That the preparations of gold are to be preferred in these respects,
but that gold has the disadvantage of exciting too much, and
cannot, therefore, be exhibited to those of a nervous and excitable
temperament, or who have weak and delicate chests. In such
ARGENTI CHLORIDUM. 53
cases the preparations of silver merit the preference. Fifthly.
The preparations of silver are much cheaper than those of gold,
and are, therefore, more available in practice amongst the poor
and in large hospitals; and, moreover, they are more easily pre-
pared, which is a consideration of some moment, as regards the
pharmaciens of small towns. Sixthly and lastly. There are
cases in which mercurial and gold preparations fail, and where
the preparations of silver might be of great advantage.
The observation of others has not confirmed the assertions of
M. Serre. M. Ricord* employed the various preparations, made
after the formulas given by M. Serre, in the same doses; but not
being able to observe any effect that could be fairly ascribed to
the agents, he ventured upon considerably larger doses, as much,
for example, as twelve grains a day of the iodide and cyanide,
but without any marked results.
In this country, the preparations of silver have been but little,
if at all, used in syphilis, nor do they appear to merit special
favour/j-
I. ARGENTI CHLORIDUM.
Synonymes. Argentum Muriaticum, A. Salitum, Chloruretum Argenti,
Argentum Chloratum, Chloride, Chloruret or Muriate of Silver.
French. Chlorure d'Argent.
German. Salzsaures silber, Chlorsilber.
The chloride of silver is prepared by the decomposition of a
solution of nitrate of silver, by an excess of a solution of chloride
of sodium. The resulting product, or the chloride of silver,
appears under the form of a flaky, clotted, very thick precipitate:
it must now be washed repeatedly with boiling water, and be
exposed to the heat of a sand-bath, so that it may dry as speedily
as possible.
Chloride of silver, prepared in this way, is of a white colour,
devoid of taste, and not soluble in water, but soluble in ammonia.
In the light it speedily changes, especially when much divided, or
when moist, and assumes a somewhat dark violet hue, as the
chlorine is given off.
The chloride of silver suffers no decomposition when united
* J. J. L. Rattier, La Lancette Franchise, No. 122, Oct. 13, 1836.
f Dr. W. P. Johnson, Medical Examiner, Nov. 23,1839, p. 743.
54
ARGENTI ET AMMONITE CHLORIDUM.
with vegetable matters. It must be dried and kept protected from
the light.*
Its uses have been referred to under the head of the prepara-
tions of silver, (p. 50.)
II. ARGENTI ET AMMONLE CHLORIDUM.
Synonymes. Argentum Muriaticum Ammoniatum, Chloruretum Argenti et
Ammonise, Chloride or Chloruret of Silver and Ammonia.
French. Chlorure d'Argent et d'Ammoniaque.
German. Silbersalmiak, Salzsaures Silberammonium.
This preparation is obtained, when we saturate, by the aid of
heat, liquid ammonia with fresh precipitated and carefully washed
chloride of silver. The operation must be accomplished at such
a degree of heat, that the fluid shall boil once; for if the boiling
be continued a few moments and in the open air, no crystals will
be deposited on cooling. If the fluid, whilst in full ebullition and
preserved from the light, be filtered, very regular crystals will be
deposited on cooling, which may be dried between blotting paper,
and should be kept in a well stopped bottle.
The chloride of silver and ammonia has a bluish white colour,
the peculiar smell of ammonia, and a burning, almost caustic,
taste. In the air, it gradually exhales ammonia, and acquires all
the properties of simple chloride of silver, without, however, losing
the form of the original composition.
If the crystals be kept in the ammonia in which they were
formed, they do not experience the slightest change in their colour
from the influence of light. When treated with distilled water,
the chloride of silver and ammonia is decomposed. A portion
saturated with ammonia is again dissolved; yet a much greater
portion remains undissolved; this contains only a small quantity .Ji
of ammonia. The chloride of silver and ammonia experiences the *$
same decomposition through the influence of heat, as when it is
exposed to the open air, except that the decomposition takes place
more rapidly. It displays nothing extraordinary, when rubbed
with organic matters.
This remedy, as was before remarked, has also been used with
advantage by Serre in cases of syphilis.
Another preparation, the Liquor argenti muriatico-ammo-
niati, has been long recommended by Kopp, in cases of chronic
■ *T,9,n the mode of forminS the various preparations of silver, see Chamou,
m Bulletin General de Therapeutique, No. xvi. Aug. 30, 1836.
ARGENTI PRiEPARATA.
55
nervous affections. It is prepared^ according to the following
formula:—
R. Argent, nitric, fus. gr. x.
Aquae distillat. 5ij.
Soluto filtrato instilla liquoris natri muriatici, (Sodse Muriatis,) q. s.
ad praecipitandum. Prsecipitatum sedulo ablutum solve in liquoris am-
nion, caust. ^iss: adde acidi muriatici 3iij. vel q. s. ut praecipitatio
evitetur et argentum muriaticum in statu solutionis permaneat. Pondus
fluidi filtrati sequale sit unciis duabus cum dimidia.*
This preparation is transparent, but under the effect of light
suffers black flakes to be deposited. It is therefore necessary to
preserve it in small bottles, painted black, in a dark place. In
using it, acid substances should be avoided.
Kopp found this liquor argenti muriatico-ammoniati of great
efficacy in St. Vitus's dance. It may be given to children of
about ten years of age, morning, noon, and night, in doses of
three drops, gradually raised to six, in a spoonful of distilled
water. (See page 50.)
III. ARGENTI CYANIDUM.
Synonymes.—Argentum Cyanogenatum, Cyanuretum Argenti, Cyanide or
Cyanuret of Silver.
French.—Cyanure d'Argent.
German.—Blaustoffsilber, Cyansilber.
This is obtained by permitting a weak solution of hydrocyanic
acid to act on a solution of nitrate of silver. The very light white
precipitate, formed thereby, must be repeatedly washed with dis-
tilled water, and be reduced to dryness in a moderately heated
oven. In the preparation of the cyanide of silver, as of the iodide,
it is essential to pour on only so much of the fluid in the formation
of the precipitate as may be required for the complete decomposi-
* "Take of fused nitrate of silver, ten grains; distilled water, two ounces:
Into the filtered solution drop enough of a solution of chloride of sodium to
precipitate. Dissolve the carefully washed precipitate in an ounce and a
half of caustic liquid ammonia; add three drams of muriatic acid, or enough
to avoid precipitation, and the muriate of silver may remain in a state of solu-
tion. The weight of the filtered fluid should be equal to two ounces and a
half."
56
ARGENTUM DIVISUM.
tion of the nitrate of silver. If too much hydrocyanic acid be
used, a part of the precipitate will be separated in the form of the
hydrocyanate of silver. If, instead of the hydrocyanic acid, the
hydrocyanate of potassa be used, the latter, if added in too great
proportion, will unite with the cyanide of silver, and form a solu-
ble double salt.
Cyanide of silver is of a white colour, devoid of taste, not solu-
ble in water, but soluble in ammonia. In the air, the surface very
soon becomes of a dark violet hue, similar to that of the chloride
of silver under like circumstances.
The cyanide of silver is dry, and should be kept preserved from
the light. It experiences no decomposition when mixed with
neutral vegetable matters.
Its use in disease has been referred to under the preparations of
silver.
IV. ARGENTUM DIVISUM.
Synonymes.—Metallic Silver in a state of division.
German.—Zertheiltes Silber.
Pure oxide of silver is placed in a porcelain crucible, and the
fire is increased to dull redness. The product is then allowed
to cool, rubbed in an agate mortar, and sifted through a close
sieve or bolting cloth.
In this condition, divided silver forms a very fine powder, of a
dullish white colour; the air has no influence upon it, unless when
impregnated with sulphureous vapours.
Besides the use of this preparation in syphilis, already referred
to, it may be remarked, that the filings of silver, argentum lima-
turn, which agree with it in chemical relations, had been adminis-
tered ten years before in cases of intermittent fever, by Dr. Meyer,
of Buckeburg.*
Notwithstanding the testimony adduced in its favour, it is pro-
bably wholly inert, or exerts but a mechanical agency.
* Riecke, Op. cit. S. 436.
ARGENTI PR^EPARATA.
57
V. ARGENTI IODIDUM.
Synonymes. Argentum lodatum, loduretum Argenti; Iodide or loduret of
Silver.
French.—Iodure d'Argent.
German.—Iodsilber.
Iodide of silver is obtained by mixing a solution of the nitrate
of silver with one of the iodide of potassium. The yellowish
flakes, produced by the admixture of the two fluids, are then
washed several times with distilled water, and dried in an oven.
In this preparation, also, it is important, that only so much of
the reagent should be added as is necessary for the complete de-
composition of the salt of silver. A surplus of the iodide of potas-
sium would form with the already precipitated iodide of silver a
soluble and crystallisable double salt of iodine, whereby the quan-
tity of the product, which it might be desirable to obtain, would
be diminished.
Iodide of silver is of a very pale yellow colour, but becomes,
under the action of light and air, of a deeper yellow. It has no
taste, and is neither soluble in water nor in ammonia. The latter
property serves to distinguish it from the chloride and the cyanide
of the same metal. Like the chloride, the iodide must be kept in
a dry dark place. Neutral vegetable substances appear to exert
no action upon it.
Its properties have been enumerated under the head of the pre-
parations of silver, (p. 50.)
VI. ARGENTI OXIDUM.
Synonymes. Argentum Oxydatum, Oxydum Argenti.
French.—Oxide d'Argent.
German.—Silberoxyd, Oxydirtes Silber.
This oxide is obtained by the reaction of caustic potassa on a
solution of nitrate of silver. The alkaline fluid must be added in
excess, and the oxide, which is the product of the decomposition,
must be washed several times in a considerable quantity of water,
and be dried by moderate heat, and preserved from the light.
In the state of hydrate, the oxide is black; when anhydrous, it
6
58
ARGILLA PURA.
appears as an olive greenish brown powder; it is tasteless, and
capable of absorbing carbonic acid from the air. Under the long
continued influence of light it is blackened; and at a heat below
the obscure red, it is reduced to the metallic condition. To be
kept for a long time in the pure state, it must be protected from
the light, in a well stopped bottle.
This prepartion, which was also recommended by Serre, has-
been used by Van Mons in syphilis.* (See page 50.)
ARGILLA PURA.
Synonymes. Alumina pura, Terra aluminosa pura, Terra Aluminis, Terra
bolaris seu Argillacea pura; Pure Argil or Alumina.
French.—Alumine factice.
German.—Reine Tbonerde; reine Alaunerde.
This substance was known in olden times by the names Arme-
nian Bole, Terra sigillata, &c, in which forms it was always,
however, mixed with lime and iron. It was highly extolled as
an absorbent, demulcent, diaphoretic and astringent; was em-
ployed in hemorrhage, diarrhoea and dysentery, phthisis, poisoned
wounds, &c, and was also applied externally in cases of erysi-
pelas. It had almost fallen into complete oblivion, when its use
was resumed by some of the German practitioners. With us, it
is scarcely ever, if ever, prescribed.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
The purest argil is prepared by drying the sulphate of alumina
and ammonia, and exposing it for 20 or 25 minutes to a red heat,
in a crucible: the sulphuric acid and ammonia are driven off; and
the argil remains behind in the form of a white powder. For-
merly, it was prepared by dissolving alum in water, and preci-
pitating the argil from the solution by means of carbonate of
potassa or soda, or of caustic potassa. It is affirmed, however
that generally more or less sulphuric acid remained with the
earth, so that it required to be purified by repeated washing until
there was no longer any acid reaction. If a still higher degree
* Riecke, Op. cit. S. 440.
ARGILLA PURA.
59
of purity be needed, the precipitate is dissolved in muriatic acid,
and the argil precipitated by caustic ammonia.
The powder, prepared by these methods, is of a white colour
and devoid of smell or taste; but it communicates to the tongue
a feeling of astringency. When breathed upon, it yields a pecu-
liar earthy smell. It is insoluble in water, but attracts moisture
greedily from the air, and forms with it a gelatiniform mass.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
Pure argil was highly recommended by Percival in indigestion
attended with predominance of acidity; and it was in such cases
extolled by the Dresden physicians, Ficinus and Seiler.-* Ac-
cording to the former, it merits a preference over all other absor-
bents, inasmuch as it forms astringent salts with acids. He
found it especially useful in diarrhoea and dysentery, particularly
in children. Seiler recommended it in the vomiting of infants,
which is usually accompanied by acidity, and in the diarrhoea of
older children.
Neumannf found it successful in checking diarrhoea, which nei-
ther starch glyster, nor opium, nor any other therapeutical agents
had succeeded in diminishing. He made a mixture of two drams
of argil, and four ounces of a decoction of logwood, and adminis-
tered it to children by the teaspoonful. Weese,J also employed
it successfully in several cases of infantile diarrhoea, where there
was evidently a predominance of acid. The latest encomiast of
the argilla depurata is Diirr, who, for several years, has admi-
nistered it in the diarrhoea and cholera of infants, and has found
it highly efficacious.
The chemical reasons, urged by Ficinus and others, merit
attention. The article is worthy of employment in affections of
the intestinal tube, in which astringents are indicated. The
muriatic, and the acetic or lactic acid are always in the stomach
when any alimentary or other matter is present there; these
acids cannot fail, consequently, to unite with the argil, and the
resulting compound must possess astringent properties.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The dose in the 24 hours, for a very young child, is from 5ss
* Zeitschrift fur Natur. und Heilkunde der Dresdner Professoren, B. I.
H. 1, S. 82.
f Bemerkungen iiber die gebrauchlichsten Arzneimittel, von Dr. Karl
Georer Neumann, S. 55, Berlin, 1840.
X Rust's Magazin, B. xii. H. 2, S. 247.
00
ARGILLA PURA.
to 3j; for older children, from 3j to 3ij. Smaller doses are of
little or no avail. The vehicle is commonly an emulsion.
The following forms are given by Riecke.*
Mistura Argillce.
Mixture of Argil.
R. Emuls. sem. papav. (ex ±ss. parat.) ^iiiss.
Argillae purae, 9ij.
Syrup, altha^se, 5ss. M.
Dose—A teaspoonful to a child two years old affected with
diarrhoea.
R. Argill. pur. Jss.
Gum. Arab. Jj.
Sacch. alb. 3ij-
Aq. foenicul. 5iij. M.
Dose—The same as the last to a child one year old..
R. Emuls. oleos. cum vitell. ovor. parat. 5j.
Syrup, alth. 5j.
Argill. depurat. 3ss.
Aq. cinnam. simpl. Jj.
Extract, cicut. gr. ij. M.
Dose—The same as the two last to a child three months old,
affected with cholera infantum.
DuRR.
X Die neuern Arzneimittel. S. 41. Stuttgart, 1837.
ARNICA.
61
ARNICA.
Synonymes. Arnica Montana, A. Plauensis, Doronicum Germanicum, Panacea
Lapsorum, Ptarmica Montana, Caltha Alpina, Calendula Alpina, Narda Cel-
tica altera, Doronicum plantajjinis folio, Leopard's Bane.
French.—Arnique, Tabac ou B^toine des Savoyards, Tabac de Montagne,
Doronic d'Allemagne, Tabac des Vosges.
German.—Wohlverlei, Fall kraut.
This plant, which belongs, in the sexual system, to the Synge-
nesia polygamia superflua and to the natural order Synantherece,
is in the secondary list of the Pharmacopoeia of the United States,
but it is not much used in this country; nor does there appear to
be any clear appreciation of the cases for which it is adapted.*
Such, too, appears to be the sentiment of the French practitioners
" It may be concluded,"-say MM. Merat and De Lens,f " that we
have as yet insufficient data to pronounce positively on the affec-
tions in which the arnica can be unequivocally efficacious; we
must, consequently, always bear in mind its heating and active
qualities when we prescribe it."
In Germany, the flowers and root are much employed in para-
lysis, as an excitant to the nervous system; and it is chiefly to
introduce the volatile oil—the oleum cethereum florum arnica,
{Germ. Wohlverleiol)—to the attention of the profession, that we
refer to the arnica at all. This oil is obtained from the flowers,
and has been much recommended by Schneider in old cases of
paralysis, which are the result of the apoplectic condition. He
bimself often administered it with evident success; the paralytic
limbs becoming warmer, more active, and more serviceable under
its use.
Schneider mixes four drops of arnica oil with halfan ounce of
the liquor anodynus Hoffmanni, or spiritus nitri dulcis, and of this
he gives, for a dose, from four to twelve drops several times a
day. The mixture has an agreeable smell and taste. Four drops
of the oil to four ounces of sugar form a good elaosaccharum.%
* Dr. Wood, in Dispensatory of the United States, by Drs. Wood and Bache,
Art. Arnica.
f Dictionnaire Universel de Matiere Medicale, &c. i. 423. Paris, 1829.
X Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimittel, u. s. w. S. 337. Stuttgart, 1837.
6*
02
ARSENIAS AMMONITE.
ARSENIAS AMMONIA.
Synonymes. Ammonium Arsenicum, Arseniate of Ammonia.
French. Arseniate d'Ammoniaque.
German. Arseniksaures Ammonium.
This preparation of arsenic has been highly recommended,
since the year 1818, by Biett, in several cutaneous diseases, and
especially in psoriasis inveterata.*
METHOD OF PREPARING.
It may be prepared by taking arsenic acid one part, dissolving
it in water, and adding pure or carbonated ammonia sufficient to
saturate the acid;—or, as follows:—Take of white arsenic one part;
nitric acid four parts, and muriatic acid half a part; saturate the
solution with carbonate of ammonia, and let the arsenical salt
crystallise.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
A grain of this salt may be dissolved in an ounce of distilled
water; and of the solution from twenty to twenty-five drops be
begun with daily, gradually increasing the dose until it reaches a
dram or more in the twenty-four hours.
There does not seem to be much difference between the effects
of this preparation and those of the other forms of arsenic, that
have been received into the Pharmacopoeias. The arsenious acid
itself, as well as the arsenite of potassa and the arseniate of soda—
the officinal solution of the former well known every where under
the name of "Fowler's Solution;" that of the latter known, in
continental Europe especially, under the name " Aqua Arsenicalis
Pearsonii'' or Solution de Pearson, are possessed of precisely the
* Cazenave, in Diet, de Medec. 2d edit. iv. 30; and Cazenave's and Schadel's
Practical Synopsis of Cutaneous Diseases, translated by R. G. Griffith M D
Philadelphia, 1829.
ARSENIAS AMMONIA.
63
same properties as the arseniate of ammonia, and like it have
been found equally efficacious in obstinate diseases of the skin.
Nor is the knowledge of the agency of arsenical preparations in
cutaneous affections new. In India, the efficacy of arsenic in
those diseases has been long known: and, in Europe, attention
was attracted to it by Fowler,* and Girdlestone/f and subsequently
by Willan,J by Pearson,§ and others; but no one has administered
the arsenical preparations more extensively in these diseases than
M. Biett, of Paris, whose situation afforded him ample oppor-
tunities for testing the virtues of the different articles of the Ma-
teria Medica in skin complaints. He has succeeded, by means
of the arsenical preparations, and especially of the one we are
now considering, in removing several inveterate affections of the
skin, that had resisted every other remedy. The author has found
equally beneficial results from this practice in his own experience.
All chronic cutaneous diseases are dependent upon an alteration
in the functions of the capillary vessels or vessels of nutrition of
the part affected, and there appear to be but two ways in which
those vessels can be reached, so that a new action may be im-
pressed upon them;—in the one case, through the medium of the
general circulation; and, in the other, through the agency of topi-
cal applications, made to come in contact with the diseased sur-
face. Arsenic, like iodine,mercury in small doses, and certain other
alteratives, acts in the former way—modifying, after a protracted
exhibition, the fluid of the circulation in such manner, that it
makes an altered impression on the morbid capillaries, and breaks
in upon the diseased catenation. In no case, however, have we
observed these salutary effects, until the use of the arsenical pre-
paration had been persevered in for several weeks. These dis-
eases are chronic in their nature, and they require a chronic
medication. Time is, indeed, in every case, an element in the
cure.
* Medical Reports. London, 1786.
f Essays on the Hepatitis, &c. of India. London, 1787.
1 Description and Treatment of Cutaneous Diseases. London, 1798.
§ Observations on the effects of various articles of the Materia Medica in
the Venereal Disease, 2d edit. London, 1807.
64
ARSENICI IODIDUM.
ARSENICI IODIDUM.
Synonymes. loduretum Arsenici, Arsenicum lodatum, Iodide of Arseni
German. Iodarsenik, Arsenikiodtire, Iodarsen.
Of late this preparation has been highly extolled by Biett, in
same class of affections as the last;—applied externally.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
The iodide is prepared, according to Magendie,* in two ways:
1. By heating in a glass alembic, a mixture of sixteen parts of
arsenic and one hundred parts of iodine. The combination sub-
limes in the form of orange coloured needles. 2. Thirty parts of
pulverised arsenic, and one hundred parts of iodine are boiled in
one thousand parts of water. As soon as the liquid becomes
colourless, it is filtered, and the filtered solution is evaporated to
dryness. If it be thought advisable, this can be sublimed.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
When iodide of arsenic is injected into the veins it does not
exert so strong an action on the heart as might be expected from
so poisonous a substance. Mr. Blakef twice injected solutions,
containing each six grains of this substance, into the jugular vein
of a dog, without producing the slightest appreciable effect on the
heart. On injecting a solution, containing fifteen grains, the action
of the heart was immediately arrested.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
Biett has frequently applied the following ointment in cases of
phagedenic tuberculous herpes.
* Formulaire, edit. cit.
f Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, April, 1839, p. 336.
ARTEMISIA VULGARIS.
65
R. Arsenic, iodid. gr. iij.
Adipis. ?j.
M. exacte, ut fiat unguentum.
Cazenave gives, as the usual proportion for an ointment, one
part of the iodide to eighteen of lard.
Professor A. T. Thomson has employed the iodide in several
cases of lepra and impetigo, with very great success.* He begins
with tenth of a grain doses three times a day, and increases them
to a quarter of a grain. In some cases, he had not been able to
exceed two-thirds of a grain, as symptoms of poisoning came on,
and the medicine had to be given in diminished doses.
Recently, the iodide has been given with success in a case of
cancerous disease of the breast, by Dr. F. C. Crane.f The dose
was an eighth of a grain, which was reduced to one-twelfth, and
gradually increased to a third of a grain, beyond which it could
not be borne In a case of inveterate lepra vulgaris, however, it
was carried to the extent of one grain the dose, with the_ most
decided curative effects.
ARTEMISIA VULGARIS (RADIX.)
Synonymes.—Mugwort.
French. Armoise Commune.
German. Beifusswurzel, Gemeiner Beifusswurzel.
Almost all the species belonging to the genus artemisia are
possessed of bitter and aromatic properties, and several afford the
" wormseed." The artemisia vulgaris was employed by many of
the older physicians, but it had fallen into oblivion, when its use
was revived in Germany, by Burdach, a physician at Triebel,
near Sorace,J who recommended it strongly as a preventive of
epilepsy. Since that time, it has been much prescribed in that
* Lancet, Jan. 19, 1839, p. 621.
t Lancet, Aug. 31,1839.
X Hufeland's Journal, B. lviii. St. 4 und 5.
66
ARTEMISIA VULGARIS.
country, but its employment has not extended much to other
countries of Europe, or to this side of the Atlantic. The root
is the part preferred;—formerly the herb and the tops were
solely used.
The root was employed in epilepsy, centuries ago, but it had
been neglected, or was only exhibited as a nostrum, when Burdach
entered upon his investigations, of which the following is a
summary.
The root of the artemisia should be dug up in autumn, after
the stalk has become dry, or in the spring before the stalk has
shot up; but perhaps the latter half of November is as good a
period as any. It must be freed from the adherent earth by
shaking. Burdach regards washing to be objectionable, as the
root may lose some portion of its efficacy thereby. The old,
ligneous, mouldy, and damaged parts of each root must be care-
fully removed, and the fresh young side roots (fibrillse,) which
are distinguished by their smell, clear colour, and greater juici-
ness, must be spread on paper, and dried in the shade, and as soon
as they become brittle they must be carefully preserved. Besides
the fibrillar, the soft, sound, and juicy parts of the root, especially
the fleshy rind of the thicker roots, must be used.
The period required for drying them varies; in moist weather
it may require two months; but late in the year the desiccation
may be aided by the gentle warmth of the sun, or of a stove; the
latter must never, however, rise higher than from sixty-four to
sixty-eight degrees of Fahrenheit. If put away too early the root
becomes spoiled; if, too late, it loses many of its volatile parts.
When powdered, it ought not to be kept too long, as the volatile
portions escape and it soon becomes devoid of smell. Even during
the process of pulverising loss is sustained, and the fresh powder
has a much feebler odour than the entire root, so that Burdach
advises for distant patients, that the root in substance should be
sent to them, and that they should be recommended to pound it for
use in a well covered mortar. By pulverising, the inner, hard,
woody parts are separated from the smaller roots; they must be
removed and thrown away, as the powder of the cortical sub-
stance of the small radicles has alone been found efficacious.
The smell of the well dried root is very strong, pungent and pe-
culiar, especially when we open a vessel in which it has been
stored away in quantity. The taste is sweetish, sharp and nau-
seous.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
It has been already remarked, that Burdach* recommends the
artemisia especially in epilepsy; and he affirms that it requires no
preparation or special attention.
* Casper's Wochenschrift, Oct. 22,1836, S. 675.
ARTEMISIA VULGARIS.
67
It is most efficacious when given about half an hour before the
attack, which it usually prevents; but if this be impracticable, it
may be given as soon as the patient comes to. The dose is a
heaped up tea-spoonful, (from fifty to seventy grains,) which may
be administered in warm beer; the patient should be put to bed
immediately, covered up warm, and allowed warm small beer to
drink, so as to occasion diaphoresis—care being taken that he
does not expose himself to cold. This course is to be repeated so
long as there are any traces of mischief. When the remedy, how-
ever, acts favourably, Burdach asserts, that frequent repetition is
not often necessary. At times, it happens, that when the dose
has been raised to a dram and a half, and thrice repeated, no cri-
tical sweat follows; Burdach then aids the operation by giving the
liquor cornu cervi succinatus, {spiritus ammonice succinatus,) in
an infusion of serpentaria, valerian root and arnica flowers; but
the effect, he says, was always better when the diaphoresis was
produced by the artemisia alone. One important advantage in
the use of this agent is, that a judgment can be speedily formed
of its utility; when much may be expected from it, a marked im-
provement usually occurs after the first doses. In those cases of
epilepsy which recur every day, and sometimes even from three
to fifteen times a day, and especially where the paroxysms are
so violent and frequent, as to leave little interval for the patient to
be restored to consciousness, the artemisia has proved more cer-
tain in its operation, either by removing or mitigating the disease.
In such cases, two doses were given on the first day, and after-
wards one tolerably strong dose daily till the third day. In those
forms of epilepsy, whose attacks recurred twice daily, morning
and evening, the artemisia acted very beneficially; the paroxysms
soon became somewhat weaker, shorter, and were postponed a
day or two. In such cases it is advisable to continue the remedy
for some weeks. Infants at the breast bear the artemisia espe-
cially well. It is equally efficacious in the epileptic attacks of
young females from twelve to fifteen years of age, and prior to
the establishment of menstruation. Under its use, the catamenia
have generally taken place, and the epilepsy has disappeared. On
the other hand, the artemisia was found to aggravate cases of epi-
lepsy occurring as a disease of growth, (Entwickelungskrank-
heit,) in young persons from seventeen to twenty-two years old,
and as a consequence of great corporeal development. It was
equally unfortunate in cases of epilepsia nocturna, where the
paroxysms came on irregularly at an interval of about five, ten,
or fifteen days, and generally about midnight; as well as in that
form in which, after the patient had suffered for six, seven, or
eight weeks, under violent symptomatic sweats, a morbid condi-
tion ensued from two to three times every twenty-four hours, con-
68
ARTEMISIA VULGARIS.
sisting of repeated epileptic attacks, with great prostration in the
intervals. .
These are the main results of the communications of burdach
on this subject.* The number of his experiments and observa-
tions was considerable, and the results appear to have been fre-
quently most happy, especially in the case of females, who seem
to have exhibited themselves more beneficially impressed by the
remedy than males; the proportion of cures being as three to
two. Tosettrf gives the proportion of cases in women and chil-
dren to that of men, as eight to six.
In the Berlin Charite, the artemisia is said to have been used
with equal success. The German journals contain numerous
cases, on the authority of E. Grafe,J Wagner,§ Van Maanen,||
Wolf,! Osann, Bonorden,** Schluter, Bird,ff Lowenhard,}}
Geis,§§ and others.|||| But few physicians, according to Riecke,
have been disappointed in it, and where they have been, he
ascribes the failure to its having been given in cases for which it
was inappropriate, or to the preparation of the artemisia not
having been properly attended to.!!
In consequence of a German physician having recommended
the Artemisia absinthium to Professor A. T. Thomson, Professor
Elliotson*** was induced to try it in epilepsy. The patient to
whom he gave the medicine was a girl, seventeen years of age,
who had been affected with epileptic fits for four months—three
or four occurring daily. A dram of the powder of the artemisia
was given three times a day. This was on the 30th of March.
On the 9th of April, the dose was increased to two drams, when
the fits became less frequent, but not less severe. On the 16th,
the dose was repeated every four hours. She had only one
slight fit in the course of twelve days; and on her dismissal, on
the 24th of May, she had had no fit for twenty-six days. Dr.
Elliotson was of opinion, that the strong infusion would be less
offensive to the patient, and quite as effective as the powder.
* Riecke, Die nenern Arzneimittel, u. s. w. S. 49. Stuttgart, 1837.
f Diss, inaug. de Radice Artemis, vulg. remed. antiepilept. Berolin, 1827:
and Osann in Art. Artemisia, Encyc. Worterb. iii. 313. Berlin, 1829.
X Grafe und Walther's Journal, B. vi. H. 2.
§ Hufeland's Journal, lix. S- 6.
|| Ibid. lxi. 5.
IT Ibid. Ixti. 3.
** Ibid. lx. 1.
ft Ibid. Ixv. 3.
XX Ibid. Ixv. 3.
\\ Ibid. Ixv. 3.
|||| Richter's Specielle Therapie. B. x. S. 377. Berlin, 1828.
ITU Op. cit. S. 49.
V Lancet, July 9,1836.
ARTEMISIA VULGARIS.
69
Besides epilepsy, the artemisia has been used with advantage
in other diseases, as in St. Vitus's dance.* Wutzer employed it
successfully in the convulsive diseases of childhood, and it is
recommended by Biermannf in eclampsia infantum, occurring
during the period of dentition. He recommends it to be given to
children in gradually increasing doses, commencing with half a
grain; and, an hour afterwards, giving a grain, and in two hours,
two grains, which is usuajjy the last dose required. The gradual
augmentation of the dose he considers advisable, "to prevent
the crisis which the artemisia induces, from being too turbulent,"
(sturmisch.)
Kolreuter, of Carlsruhe, administered the artemisia in different
diseases with great success. He prefers the extractum resinosum
radicis artemisioe, vulgaris to the root in substance. This is
prepared in the following manner.
A quantity of the dried and powdered root is covered with
highly rectified spirit of wine, and permitted to digest for some
time: the filtered liquor is then evaporated in an earthenware
vessel, until it has attained the consistence of an extract.
Kolreuter employed this advantageously in the eclampsia of
children, (in certain cases after the application of leeches;) in
tormina unaccompanied by inflammation; in the diarrhoea of
children and adults; in sporadic cases of cholera morbus, and in
dysentery, after the bloody evacuations had ceased; in gastric
fevers, on their assuming a nervous character, and in dysphagia,
cardialgia, chronic vomiting, scirrhus of the stomach, chronic
cephalalgia and neuralgia of the face; in chlorosis, and in obstruc-
tion of the catamenia, as well as in epilepsy. The dose in the
twenty-four hours, from 5ss. to 5j.; to small children, a few
grains.
Such is the chief testimony adduced in favour of the artemisia
by the German writers mainly. It is to be feared, that the
advantages to be derived from it in epilepsy have been exagge-
rated. Where there is no organic disease of the encephalon,
substances, which, like the artemisia, are nauseous, bitter and
aromatic, may be productive of advantage in the way of tonics
and revellents. In one case of this nature it was employed by
the author, but the results were not striking. When aided by
other means and appliances, it appears likewise to be powerfullv
diaphoretic, and doubtless, therefore, in appropriate cases—espe-
cially where there is much nervous impressibility—it may be
productive of the good effects ascribed to it by Burdach, Kolreu-
ter, and others. Yet—as Osann has remarkedj—it must be
* Gittermann, in Hufeland's Journal, lxii. 1. Bonorden, Op. cit.
f Riecke, Op. cit. S. 50.
\ Art. Artemisia, in Encyc. Wtfrterb. iii. 313. Berlin, 1829.
70
ARTEMISIA VULGARIS.
improper where polysomia, or a tendency to active congestion or
hyperemia, is present. The analysis of Hergt, Hummel, and
Janike afforded, along with traces of volatile oil, some balsamic
resin, both of which are excitants to the living economy.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The following forms for its administration have been adopted
by some of the German authorities.
Decoctum Artemisia,
Decoction of Mugwort.
R. Rad. artemis. vulg. concis. ^j.
Coque cum aquae fontanae q. s. per semihoram
ad. colat. Jbj.
Half a tea-cupful of this may be taken every two hours in
cases of epilepsy.
HlLDENBRAND.
Pulvis Artemisice.
Powder of Mugwort.
R. Rad. artemis. vulg. in pulvere, 3j.
Sacch. alb. 9j. M. et fiat pulvis.
The powder to be administered daily in the evening, in warm
beer, in cases of epilepsy. Loewenstein.
Mistura Artemisice.
Mixture of Mugwort.
R. Ext. resin, artemis. vulg. gr. iv.
Gum. arab. 9j.
Sacch. alb. 3iij«
Emuls. amygd. 5iij. M.
ASPARAGUS OFFICINALIS.
71
A coffee-spoonful* to be given every half hour in eclampsia in-
fantum. The dose may be gradually raised to two COffee-SpOOn-
fuJg^ KoELREUTER.
ASPARAGUS OFFICINALIS (TURIONES.)
Synonymes. Asparagus Shoots.
German.—Spargelnsprossen.
The diuretic effect of the common asparagus is well known, and
has given occasion to its admission into many of the pharmaco-
poeias of continental Europe—into those of Amsterdam, Anvers,
Brunswick, Spain, Paris, Ferrara, Geneva, and Wirtemberg, for
example. Within the last few years, the young shoots have been
introduced by the French practitioners, and hitherto they have
been mainly administered in one form only—that of syrup.
The Syrup of asparagus, (syrupus asparagi. French—Syrop
des Pointes d'Asperge. German—Spargelsyrup,) is commonly
prepared according to the following formula.
A quantity of fresh asparagus is taken—Chevallier says only the
upper green* heads or tops of the young shoots—these are bruised
in a marble mortar, after which the juice is expressed and heated
in a water bath, until the albumen is coagulated: it is then filtered
through paper, and to every pound of the juice thirty ounces of
white sugar are added. It is then passed through flannel.f
This syrup has been recently recommended as a sedative in
palpitation of the heart, and as an agent that might be advan-
tageously substituted for digitalis. According to Richard and
Soubeiran, however, the syrup never diminishes the number of
pulsations as the digitalis commonly does. Other French physi-
ciansj regard it as a general sedative agent, and affirm, that they
* About two ordinary tea-spoonfuls.
f See on the preparation of this syrup, MM. Latour de Trie, and Roziers, in
Journal de Pharmacie, Dec. 1833, and Philad. Journal of Pharmacy, vi. 122.
J Eusebe de' Salle, in Gazette Medicale, Mai 28, 1831, and Gendrin, in
Gazette Medicale de Paris, Juin, 1833.
72
AURI PRjEPARATA.
have employed it advantageously for the relief of neuralgia, and
even of such pains as are caused by organic disease, as well as
in violent coughs, &c.
Some have esteemed it an antidote to coffee, in preventing the
sleeplessness which it occasions.*
The common dose of the syrup is two, four to six spoonfuls in
the course of the day.
Rieckef says, the Medicinalrath Heyfelder informed Jiim, that
he had employed the syrup of asparagus with "good" effect in
diseases of the heart, according to Gendrin's method, and
especially in hypertrophy of that organ. He found it, more-
over, worthy of recommendation in dropsy, crusta lactea, and in
other cutaneous affections, when mixed with the ordinary drink;
but it is probable that the good effect in these skin diseases was
owing to the sugar—little, if any, perhaps, being ascribable to the
asparagus.
An extract of asparagus has been recommended recently. It is
made by macerating the inner, white, strongly odorous portion of
the sound, not ligneous, two to three years old, roots in cold water:
like the syrupus asparagi it is said to retard the circulation of the
blood, and to dispose to sleep. On account of its disagreeable
taste, it is given in the form of pill.
The dose is from 5ss. to 3ij. in the 24 hours.
AURI PR^PARATA.
Synonvmes. Preparations of Gold.
French.—Les preparations d'Or.
German.—Goldpraparate.
The administration of gold in medicine is not modern In the
times of alchemy, it was frequently used in nervous diseases, con-
vulsions, hypochondriasis, mental affections, profuse salivation.
e Art. Gold, in Encycl. Worterb. der medicinisch. Wissenschart. B.
xv. S. 77. Berlin, 1837.
7#
74
AURI PRjEPARATA.
have been investigated by many observers. Experiments on ani-
mals had already exhibited the powerful influence, which they are
capable of exerting on the organs and functions of organic life.
One of the most prominent effects appears to be, an increase of
the various secretions; commonly, the urinary secretion is largely
augmented, as well as the transpiration, and the intestinal and
salivary secretions. Not unfrequently, under the continued ad-
ministration of the gold, actual salivation ensues, which differs,
however, from that induced by mercury. It is always slow in
appearing, and is by no means so exhausting as that caused by
mercury; nor do troublesome ulcers occur; whilst the saliva is
thinner, and not so tenacious. Like mercury, the preparations of
gold occasion excitement in the organism, which often ends in a
true febrile condition: after they have been taken for some time
in moderate doses, there is generally a feeling of increased warmth
in the stomach, and an augmentation of the appetite. The pulse
is rendered fuller and more active, and the animal heat and vital
activity are augmented, so that in such as are predisposed to the
affection, hemorrhage is apt to take place. The catamenia recur
sooner than usual under their influence, and the quantity lost may
be greater.* Sooner or later, a regular attack of fever not un-
frequently supervenes,—as indicated by shivering, pains in the
limbs, back, and stomach,—which may continue for a few hours,
but sometimes lasts for days, and at length ends by sweating, deposit
tions in the urine, and occasionally by salivation.
In very large doses, the preparations of gold are corrosive poi-
sons. The symptoms, caused by their use, when they act as
such, are—oppression in the region of the stomach, nausea, vo-
miting, pains in the abdomen and diaphragm, a metallic taste in
the mouth, augmented secretion of saliva, without the teeth or
gums being affected, pulse excited and breathing oppressed.f
As a general rule, they are not esteemed proper for impressible
individuals; on the other hand, in persons of torpid constitutions
they would appear to have exerted an excitant influence even on
the generative system. Certain persons, according to Chrestien
and Niel, are not susceptible of this action; and again there are
some, according to Cullerier, junr., who cannot tolerate them in
any form.
When too large a dose has been given, the remedy should be
entirely discontinued for some time, or the dose be diminished;
the effects will soon disappear. One of the greatest recommen-
dations of gold over mercury, in the eyes of many, is, that it
* Riecke, Op. cit. S. 55.
j GrOtzner, in Rust's Magazin, xxi. 3.
AURI PR2EPARATA.
75
does not act so destructively on the organism, and never induces
such a cachectic condition as the latter occasionally does.*
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
The diseases, in which the preparations of gold have been
administered, in modern times, are chiefly the following.
1. Syphilis.—They have been occasionally used in primary
sores, but have been mainly employed in secondary syphilis,
especially in old cases, where a doubt often exists, whether
there is more of mercurial cachexia or of syphilis in the case.
They are given, also, where there is a scrofulous complication,
and where it is desirable to exhibit some other remedy than mer-
cury; and lastly, their use is indicated where mercury has failed
in removing syphilis.f Many practitioners doubt whether the
preparations of gold should be esteemed much inferior to those of
mercury. Numerous experiments, instituted, amongst others, by
Chrestien,J Cullerier, junr.,§ S. L. Mitchill,|| Niel, Biett, Lalle-
riandll Wendt,** and Legrand,ff have shown, that their em-
ployment has been most advantageous in the different forms of
syphilis, and that they have rarely disappointed expectation.
Alibert found them especially useful in syphilitic eruptions. It
must be borne in mind, however, that when they are given in
syphilis, their operation is slow, and that, in the first instance, the
symptoms may appear aggravated; they are not, therefore,
adapted for cases in which it is important to act speedily, so as to
arrest the disease at once, and prevent its farther development.
2. Gonorrhoea. In protracted cases of gonorrhoea, several
physiciansJJ have extolled the preparations of gold; others, as
Wendt and Ritter, have advised them for the sequelae of gonor-
rhoea (Trippernachkrankheiten:) it is not probable, however, that
they could be of much use in gonorrheal affections, which, as is
well known, are curable without any mercurial preparations.
3. Scrofula. The efficacy of the preparations of gold in
scrofula, was deposed to by Chrestien, Eberle, Niel, Legrand,§§
Herrmann, and Kopp.|||| According to observation, it would
* Riecke, Op. cit. S. 56.
t Eberle, Treatise on the Mat. Medica, 2d edit, i, 247.
X Op. Citat. p. 6.; see, also, Lettre a M. Magendie sur les preparations
d'Or, &c. Paris, 1828.
\ Diet, des Sciences Medicales, Art. Or. Tom. xxxvii.
|| Dyckman's Dispensatory, p. 201, and Eberle, Op. cit.
IT Journal Universel des Sciences Medicales, t. xxvii.
** Rust's Magazin, Bd. xvi, St. 1.
ff Gazette Medicale de Paris, Oct. 30, 1837.
XX Grfitzner, Op. cit.
55 Bulletin Generate de Therapeutique, No. xv. Aout. 15, 1837.
UII DenkvvQrdigk. in der arztl. Praxis, iii. 351.
76
AURI PR^EPARATA.
appear that it effects improvement in the mildest cases, and is
beneficial where there is much torpor, but that it ought to be
avoided in irritable subjects. In scrofulous ophthalmia, and in
scrofulous porrigo, it would seem to have been most efficacious.
Recently, the preparations of gold have been employed by M.
Baudelocque at the Hopital des Enfans Malades, and by M.
Velpeau at La Charite.* At the former institution, they were
given in enormous doses. M. Baudelocque gave the hydro-
chlorate and the stannate in doses of from ten to twelve grains,
without producing any effect on the disease, and without any
apparent injury to me constitution of the children subjected to
the experiment. The oxide of gold prepared by potassa was
carried as high as twenty grains during the day. At La Charite,
Velpeau gave fifteen, eighteen, and twenty grains of the hydro-
chlorate and oxide of gold during the day, and higher doses were
not tried, solely on account of the expense of the medicine.
These results are strongly discordant from those of Orfila and
Devergie, the former of whom affirms that the hydrochlorate of
gold is more active than the corrosive sublimate, and the latter
states, that in the dose of one tenth to one twentieth of a grain,
it produces more or less inflammation of the lining membrane of
the stomach and intestines.
4. Scirrhus and cancer. The utility of the preparations of gold
appears to have been most decided in scirrhous induration of the
tongue, according to the observation of Wendt, Helm, and others;
in such case, they are rubbed on the tongue; this, indeed, is the
most common form of administration. H. Hoffmann relates a case
of scirrhus of the pylorus, in which the muriate of gold was entirely
successful; and frictions with the muriate, or the oxide of gold
on the labia pudendi have been recommended by Hufeland, Herr-
mann, Meissner, Grbtzner, Gozzi,f and others, in cases of scirrhus
and cancer of the uterus. In the same affections, Krimer has
advised them to be applied to the os uteri. Scirrhosities, it is
affirmed, have been dispersed through their agency; and even in
open cancer marked improvement has been perceptible.
5. In tumours of the bones, and in like affections, the prepara-
tions of gold have been employed successfully by some practi-
tioners, and especially when the cases originated in syphilis.
7. Several forms of lepra have been treated with them by Ali-
bert, and A. T. Chrestien, and with the best effects.
8. In Amenorrhaea, Carron du Villards employed the cyanide suc-
cessfully, beginning before the expected menstrual period.
Lastly.—Wendt, Delafield, and Grotzner have administered
* L'Experience, No. lxxxvii.; and Lancet, March 23, 1339, p. 31.
t Sopra 1'uso di alcuni remedii aurifici nelle malattie venere. Bologn. 1817;
and Ornodei, Annal. Univers. di Medicin. vol. v.
AURI CHLORIDUM.
77
them with benefit as diuretics in dropsy. With others, however,
they have failed. According to Riecke,* the results of experience
would seem to show, that they are especially adapted for dropsy,
dependent upon organic disease of some viscus.
None of the preparations of gold are much employed at the
present day. Their expense is, indeed, a weighty objection—
unless there were striking advantages in adopting them in special
cases of disease in preference to other articles of the Materia
Medica.
I. AURI CHLORIDUM.
Synonymes. Aururri Chloratum, A. rnuriaticum, Chloretum Auri, Murias
Auri, Aurum Oxydulatum Muriaticum, Aurtim Salitum, Chloruretum Auri,
Auri Terchloridum, Muriate of Gold, Chloride of Gold, &c.
French. Chlorure d'Or, Muriate d'Or.
German. Salzsaures Gold, Chlorgold, Goldchlorid, Salzsaure Goldoxydul.
This preparation is received into several of the European Phar-
macopoeias, and is usually formed by digesting one part of gold
leaf in three parts of the nitro-muriatic acid in a sand bath, and
evaporating gently to dryness. Magendie,f however, recom-
mends the following method.
Take one part of fine leaf gold, divide it into small portions,
(and put it into a vial of white glass; pour upon it three parts of aqua
Tegia—formed of one part of nitric acid—and two parts of muriatic
acid, and heat the whole in a small sand bath, so arranged, that in
case the retort breaks the fluid may be recovered without loss.
The solution of the gold will soon take place. The fluid must then
be evaporated until the smell of chlorine is perceptible. This point
can be readily determined, as after the decomposition of the aqua
regia there is a period during which the nitrous acid is alone given
off. The disengagement of the chlorine indicates the commence-
ment of the decomposition of the chloride formed. The vessel must
now be removed from the fire and suffered to cool. The chloride
appears immediately as a crystalline mass, in the form of a mul-
titude of beautiful yellow needles. In this condition, the chloride
of gold is as pure as it need be: it contains no excess of muriatic
acid, and is not deliquescent.
It can be preserved in the same vessel in which it has been pre-
pared—by merely stopping it with paper—without any danger of
its undergoing decomposition.
Wendt directs it to be formed in the following manner:
* Op. cit. S. 58.
t Formulaire.
78
AURI CHLORIDUM.
R. Auri puri quantum placet,
Solve in
Acid, nitric, part, j,
----muriat. pur. part, iij,
Deinde leni calore evapora ad siccum in vase vitreo. Massam reman-
entem saturatam dissolve in aq. distill.; solutam filtra et ad crystallisan-
dum sepone. Crystallos collectos tere in mortario porcellaneo supra
arenam calidam ad siccum. Sal concretum statim, ne humidi quid
attrahat, in vitro obturato serva.*
Muriate of gold, prepared according to Magendie's formula, is
very acid, but this property is not owing to its containing any free
acid. The taste is also styptic and disagreeable. It only attracts
moisture from the air when it contains an excess of muriatic acid,
as is the case in Wendt's preparation. It is readily soluble in
water with which it forms a solution of a beautiful yellow colour.
Many animal and vegetable substances, and especially the epi-
dermis, are coloured by it of a purple violet when it is placed in
contact with them. Exposed to a moderate heat, it passes to the
state of protochloride. When heated to a greater degree, in close
vessels, chlorine is disengaged and metallic gold left behind.
Wendt's preparation, when dissolved, is very easily decom-
posed, and it has therefore to be kept from the influence of light
and air.
The chloride is one of the most active of the preparations of
gold. It belongs to the class of corrosive poisons,f and greatly
resembles corrosive sublimate in its operation on the economy. It
must consequently be administered with caution—even a tenth of
a grain has been known to induce unpleasant irritation of the
stomach.J It has been given both internally and externally in
syphilis, dropsy,^ and glandular affections.
The dose is from one sixteenth to one twelfth of a grain once
or twice a day, being gradually but slowly increased. In the like
quantity it has been rubbed upon the tongue and gums. Exter-
* Take of pure gold at pleasure,
Dissolve in
Nitric acid, one part,
Muriatic acid, three parts,
Then evaporate with a gentle heat to dryness in a glass vessel. Dissolve the
saturated remaining mass in distilled water, filter the solution and set it aside
to crystallise. Rub the collected crystals in a porcelain mortar over warm
sand to dryness. Keep the concrete salt in a well stopped glass vessel to pre-
vent it from attracting moisture.
t Orfila, Toxicolog. i, 593.
X Magendie, Formulaire.
j Wendt, in Rust's Magazin, B. xxv.
AURI CLORIDUM. 79
nally, it has been applied in the form of ointment or watery solu-
tion—the last more particularly in ophthalmia, especially of the
scrofulous kind, in which Jahn found it very efficacious.
The following are some of the forms in which it has been pre-
scribed.
Boli Auri Chloridi.
{Boli Antisyphilitici, Pharmacopoeia Batava.)
Antisyphilitic Boluses.
R. Auri chlorid. gr. ss ad gr. ij.
Extract, aconit. gr. vj ad gr. xij. Fiant boli sex.
Two of these to be taken for a dose, and repeated three times
a day.
Pilulce Auri Chloridi.
{Pilulce Chlorureti Auri, Ph. Amstelodamensis nova.)
Pills of Chloride of Gold.
R. Auri chlorid. gr. x.
Pulv. rad. glycyrrhiz. Jiij.
Syrup, q. s. ut fiant pilulse cl.
|}ose.—One daily, gradually augmenting the quantity.
R. Auri chlorid. gr. i.
Pulv. lycopod. gr. xv. M. fiat pulv. in part, xvi dividend.
One of the powders to be rubbed upon the tongue and gums
daily. Chrestien.
Gradually, the same quantity of the muriate may be divided
into twelve and ten parts, and used in the same way.
Unguentum Auri Chloridi.
Ointment of Chloride of Gold.
R. Auri chlorid. gr. iv.
Misce intime cum
Ung. rosat. ^j.
Wendt.
80
AURI ET SODII CHLORIDUM.
Collyrium Auri Chloridi.
Collyrium of Chloride of Gold.
R. Auri chlorid. gr. ij.
Solve in aquae distill. ±vj.
F. collyrium.
To be applied by means of linen compresses, or dropped into
the eye. Jahn.
II. AURI ET SODII CHLORIDUM.
Synonymes.—Aurum Muriaticum (Pharmac. Borussic.) Aurum Muriaticum
Natronatum, Aurum Chloratum Natronatum, Sodii Auro-Terchloridum,
Perchloruretum Auri et Sodii, Chloretum Auri cum Chloreto Natrii, Muriaa
Aurico-natricum, Chloruretum Auri et Sodii, Chloride of Gold and Sodium,
Hydrochlorate or Muriate of Gold and Sodium, Auro-terchloride of So-
dium.
French.—Hydrochlorate ou Muriate d'Or et de Soude.
German.—Salzsaures Goldnatrum, Chlorgoidnatronium, Goldnatriumchlorid.
This preparation is in the Pharmacopoeias of Prussia, Ferrara,
Sweden, &c.
Figuier directs it to be prepared in the following manner.*
Dissolve four parts of gold in aqua regia, and evaporate the solu-
tion to dryness; add thirty-two parts of water, and one part of
chloride of sodium, and evaporate to one half. On cooling, cry-
stals will form, which consist of 69.3 parts of chloride of gold;
14.1 parts of chloride of sodium, and 16.6 of water.
The formula of the Prussian Pharmacopoeia is as follows;—
R. Auri, partes vj.
Solve in
Acidi muriatici, q. s.
Acidi nitrici quantum ad auri solutionem requiritur, guttatim addendo.
Tunc admisc.
Natri muriatici sice. part. x.
Et post solutionem leni igne evaporando
in pulverem flavum redige.t
* Annales de Chimie, Fcvrier, 1822, and Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimittel,
S. 63, Stuttgart, 1837.
f Take of gold, six parts:
Dissolve in a sufficient quantity of
Muriatic acid, adding as much nitric acid as is required to dissolve the
AURI ET SODII CHLORIDUM. 81
This preparation has a beautiful yellow colour, and appears
under the form of four-sided prisms. It attracts moisture from
the air, but to a less degree than the chloride of gold with excess
of sulphuric acid.
The Aurum Muriaticum Natronatum of the Germans is milder
than the preceding preparation, and is more frequently adminis-
tered, especially in Germany, than any of the preparations of gold.
It is used both internally and externally.
The dose is about the same as that of the last preparation, but
it may be carried higher.
Kopp affirms,* that he has frequently employed this prepara-
tion with advantage in scrofulous tumefaction of the upper lip,
when given in small doses. He prescribed daily, and once or
twice a day, from one thirtieth to one twenty-fourth of a grain of
the aurum muriaticum natronatum, reduced to powder, with two
grains of sugar, and by means of the finger rubbed on the inner
side of the affected lip. In adults with scrofulous, thick, sensible,
and slightly inflamed nose, Rieckef recommends the ointment,
given below, to be applied to the nasal fossas, and three times a
day a powder composed of from one sixteenth to one twelfth of a
grain of the salt of gold to two grains of sugar (Milchzucker,) to
be rubbed on the gums with the moistened finger. The salts of
gold, according to Riecke, appear to have a specific action on
the organs in the mouth, on the gums and the nose!
Pulvis Auri et Sodii Chloridi.
Powder of Chloride of Gold and Sodium.
R. Auri et sodii chlorid. part. iij.
Irid. florent. in pulv. subtil, part. ix.
Three grains of this represent three quarters of a grain of the
salt of gold. These three grains are divided into thirty frictions
for the weakest doses, and into three for the strongest. Starch
may be substituted for the powdered orris root.
Legrand.
Solutio Auri et Sodii Chloridi.
Solution of Chloride of Gold and Sodium.
R. Auri et Sodii Chlorid. gr, ij.
Aquae destillat. 5j. M.
gold. Then mix ten parts of dry muriatic of soda; and after evaporating the
solution over a slow fire reduce it to a yellow powder.
* Op. cit. B. iii, S. 351.
f Die neuern Arzneimittel, u. s. w. S. 442.
8
82 AURI ET SODII CHLORIDUM.
Ten drops to be given every two or three hours, in cases o;
i r Grotzner.
dropsy.
Pilulce Auri et Sodii Chloridi.
Pills of Chloride of Gold and Sodium.
R. Auri et sodii Chlorid. in aquae destillat. q. s. solut. gr. iv.
Extract, aconiti, 9ss.
------stipit. dulcam. 3J-
Pulv. rad. althaeae, q. s. ut fiant pilulae Nro. lxxx.
Three pills to be taken three times a day. Grotzner.
Pastilli Auri et Sodii Chloridi.
Lozenges of Chloride of Gold and Sodium.
R. Auri et Sodii Chlorid. gr. v.
Pulv. sacchar. alb. |j.
Misce exacte in mortar, vitreo.
Mucilag. gum. arabic. q. s. ut fiant pastilli lx.
Each of these will contain about one twelfth of a grain of the
jt A. T. Chrestien.
Pilulce Auri et Sodii Chloridi.
Pills of Chloride of Gold and Sodium.
R. Amyli. solan, tuberos. gr. iv.
Gum. arab. 3j.
In mort vitr. exacte mistis adde terendo
Aur. et sod. chlorid.—in 3j aq. destillat. solut.—gr. x.
Fiant pilulae cxx.
Each of these contains about one twelfth of a grain.
A. T. Chrestien.
Unguentum Auri et Sodii Chloridi.
Ointment of Chloride of Gold and Sodium.
R. Aur. et sod. chlorid. gr. iij—iv.
Adipis. 5ss.
Misce exacte. Fiat unguentum.
Used in friction. Grotzner.
R. Aur. et sod. chlorid. gr. iiss.
Adipis. 3iss. M.
The size of a bean to be placed in the nasal fossae in scrofu-
lous cases* along with the iatraleiptic use of the powder before
described. Riecke.
* See page 81.
AURI CYAN1DUM.
83
III. AURI CYANIDUM.
Synonymes. A. Cyanuretum, Cyanuret, Cyanide or Tercyanide of Gold.
French. Cyanure d'Or.
The mode of preparing this combination, recommended by M.
O. Figuier,* of Montpelher, is as follows. He decomposes the
chloride of gold by the cyanide of potassium, but he states that
many precautions are necessary to procure it in a pure state. The
chloride must be as neutral as possible, which can only be done by
recrystallising the salt several times. The cyanide must not be
alkaline, or contain any formiate or carbonate of potassa. This
salt is to be added to the solution of the chloride of gold very
cautiously as long as there is any precipitate, taking care that
there is not the slightest excess of the cyanide, as this would cause
,i solution of part of the product, and the formation of soluble
double cyanides. The cyanide, thus made, is to be well washed
with pure water, and dried in a dark place.
In some recent experiments, Magendief found that the cyanide
is one of the substances that promote the coagulation of the blood.
Where, consequently, it is desirable to impress a modification on
that fluid in chronic cutaneous and other affections, its adminis-
tration might perhaps be found useful.
M. Pourche,J who has used it successfully in syphilis and scro-
fula, recommends its administration—in the form of frictions on
the tongue—mixed with powdered orris root, well washed in al-
cohol, and dried.
Pulvis Auri Cyanidi.
Powder of Cyanide of Gold.
R. Auri cyanid. gr. j.
Pulv. irid. florent. gr. iij. M.
In pills he prescribes it as follows:—
* Journal de Pharmacie, xx, S. 99. and Amer. Journ. of Pharm. vi. 82
Philad. 1833-4. See, for another mode of preparing it, Deferre, in Bulletin
General de Th6rapeutique, Fevrier, 1838.
f Legons sur le Sang, &c,; and Translation, in Lancet, January 20, 1839,
p. 636.
| Journal de Pharmacie, xx, 599 & 649.
84
AURI CYANIDUM.
Pilulce Auri Cyanidi.
Pills of Cyanide of Gold.
R. Auri cyanid. gr. j.
Ext. mezereon. gr. iij.
Pulv. althaeas q. s. ut fiat massa.
Each pill to weigh five grains.
The children, the dose at first should never exceed one fifteenth
of a grain.
Mistura seu Liquor Auri Cyanidi.
Mixture or Solution of Cyanide of Gold.
R. Auri cyanid. gr. iij.
Aquae alcoholisat. 5viij. M.
Dose—A tea-spoonful twice a day, gradually increasing the
dose.
IV. AURI IODIDUM.
Synonymes.' A. loduretum, Iodide or loduret of Gold.
French. Proto-Iodure d'Or.
According to the French Codex, this is made by adding a solu-
tion of pure cyanide of potassium to a solution of chloride of gold,
collecting the iodide of gold, which falls down, on a filter, and
washing it with alcohol to remove the excess of iodine, which
precipitates with it. This has been used in the same cases as the
other preparations of gold, in the dose of one fifteenth to one tenth
of a grain.
V. AURI NITROMURIAS.
Synonymes. Aurum Nitrico-Muriaticum.
German.—Saltpetersalzsaures Gold.
The nitromuriate of gold has been recommended of late years
by Recamier, whose attention was directed to it by accident.
AURI OXYDUM. 85
A worker in gold had a cancerous tumour on the back, which, as
it incommoded him, he touched frequently with the hand; this
occurred whilst he was dissolving gold in aqua regia; after this
the tumour soon presented another appearance, and disappeared
in a short time. Recamier thought it probable, that the work-
man had received some of the solution upon his fingers, which
had thus been applied to the tumour. Under such impressions,
he employed it in the case of a female, who was affected with
an extensive cancer; the disorganized parts resumed their natural
texture, and completely healed, although the cancerous dyscrasy
ultimately proved fatal. In the case of a female, with fungus of
the neck of the uterus, a complete cure was effected by it; and
in cancer of the uterus he found it very advantageous.
Recamier prepares it by dissolving six grains of pure muriate
of gold in an ounce of aqua regia: and he applies it like other
corrosive agents, taking care to confine it to the parts to be acted
upon. When the object is to cauterise, it must be applied to the
affected parts, until a whitish scab or crust is formed, which
falls off in three or four days; after which the application may
be repeated as often as may be necessary. The pain, caused by
the operation, is generally insignificant, and in cases where it is
violent it can be allayed by pledgets.dipped in laudanum.
VI. AURI OXYDUM.
Synonymes. Auri Teroxidum, Aurum Oxydatum, Oxide of Gold, Peroxide of
Gold, Auric Acid.
French.—Oxide d'Or.
German.—Goldoxyd, Oxydirtes Gold.
The oxide of gold prepared by calcination is the crocus solis of
the Wirtemberg Pharmacopoeia. The oxide is received also into
the Pharmacopoeias of Ferrara, and Hannover.
Magendie* recommends the following as one of the modes of
preparation.
Take any quantity of chloride of gold, put it into a flask of white
glass and pour upon it six or seven times its weight of boiling
water, to dissolve the chloride; then add crystallised baryta gra-
dually, until the liquid is no longer acid, as shown by a strip of
litmus paper. The liquid is then boiled, permitted to cool, and
filtered. The precipitate is washed several times with warm
* Formulaire, &c.
8*
86
AURI CYANIDUM.
water; the water of the various washings is brought together and
evaporated nearly to dryness; the saline mass when cool is then
dissolved in water, and in this way more and more oxide of gold
is obtained, which may be added to the other.
The oxide of gold is now washed with boiling water, until the
water no longer affords a precipitate on the addition of nitrate of
silver. It is then washed once or twice with water acidulated with
nitric acid, to remove the small quantity of carbonate of baryta
formed during the operation, and which may remain mixed with
the oxide. These washings are-repeated with cold water, until the
instillation of sulphuric acid occasions no longer any white pre-
cipitate, which indicates that it is free from baryta.
The oxide is then dried at a heat of from 167° to 190° of Fah-
renheit, after which it is kept in a cool and dark place in a well-
stopped bottle.
The process recommended by M. Cottereau is the following.—
An excess of magnesia must be boiled with a dilute solution of
muriate of gold, till the solution loses its colour; the whole is then
to be filtered, and the precipitate well washed; the result, which
is aurate of magnesia, is to be treated with an excess of diluted
nitric acid, which removes all the magnesia, and leaves the oxide
in a pure state. This is to be again well washed and dried be-
tween sheets of bibulous paper, but without compression or expo-
sure to light or heat.*
In the French Codex it is directed to be prepared by boiling
four parts of calcined magnesia with one part of terchloride of gold
and forty parts of water. Then wash, first with water to remove
the chloride of magnesium, and afterwards with dilute nitric acid
to dissolve the excess of magnesia.-j-
In the condition of a hydrate, the oxide of gold is of a yellow
colour, but when dried of a blackish violet. It is never entirely
soluble in muriatic acid, always leaving behind a small portion,
which is reduced to the metallic state during desiccation. Neither
sulphuric nor nitric acid has an action upon it.
The oxide of gold has been administered by manv physicians,
and especially by Westring, Neil, Chrestien, and Lcgrand,J in the
same diseases as the other preparations.
* Amer. Journ. of Pharm. 2d series, ii, 110. Philad. 1837.
f Pereira, Elements of Materia Medica, Pt. i, p. 424. Lond. 1639.
X Op. citat.
AURUM METALLICUM.
87
VII. AURUM METALLICUM.
Synonymes. Metallic Gold.
French. Or M£tallique.
German. Metallisches Gold.
Metallic gold is either administered in the form of the aurum
limatum, or gold filings—formed by filing the finest gold with a
fine toothed file—or in that of the pulvis ailri, (Fr. Or divise—
Germ. Goldpulver,) wrhich is obtained by amalgamating gold
with quicksilver, and driving off" the quicksilver by heat.* Accoi>
ding to Trommsdorf, a very fine gold powder may likewise be
obtained by precipitating the gold from a dilute solution of the
metal in nitro-muriatic acid, by means of green sulphate of iron.
The precipitate, thus formed, when washed and dried, is of a
brownish colour, but when polished exhibits the most beautiful
golden splendour.f
Chrestien and Niel have exhibited metallic gold largely, and
they affirm successfully; but, according to Wendt, it has no
action on the economy. It is not easy, indeed, for us to con-
ceive, that a substance so difficult of oxidation can have much,
if any, effect. The former gentleman and Gozzi regard it as the
mildest of the preparations of gold, but as equally efficacious with
the others, although more tardy in producing its effects.
Metallic gold has been administered in the dose of from a
quarter of a grain to a grain, three or four times a day, in the
form of powder or pill; the dose being gradually increased: or
it has been rubbed daily upon the tongue, in the quantity of from
one to three grains mixed with starch powder, or the powder of
the. lycopodium. Where the condition of the tongue and of the
interior of the mouth does not admit of this, Niel advises that a
blister should be applied on the side of the neck, and that the
denuded surface should be dressed with a mixture of a grain of
gold amalgamated with mercury, and half a dram of lard; gra-
dually augmenting the quantity of gold to two grains. In syphi-
litic ulcers and excoriations, metallic gold is applied externally,
amalgamated with the proper quantity of mercury, and united
writh unsalted butter, lard, or cerate, in the proportion of twelve
grains to one ounce. In syphilitic excrescences, frictions with
gold powder, mixed with the saliva, are said to have been ser-
viceable.
* Jourdan's Pharmacopee Universelle, ii. 215. Paris, 1828.
f Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimit. S. 56. Stuttgart, 1*37.
88 BALLOTA LANATA.
The following formulas are given by Riecke.*
R. Pulver. anri, gr. vj.
Amyli. gr. lxyj.
M. F. pulv. in part, xij aequales divid.
A powder to be given four times a day.
R. Pulver. auri.
, Sem. lycopod. aa. gr. ij.
M. F. pulvis.
A powder to be rubbed once a day upon the tongue.
BALLOTA LANATA.
Synonymes. Leonurus Lanata.
German.—Wolliger Wolfstrapp.
This plant belongs to the natural family Labiatee, and to the
class Didynamia, order Gymnospermia. It grows exclusively
and commonly in Siberia, in dry mountainous regions.
In its native country it has been long administered as a power -
ful diuretic, especially in dropsy. Both Gmelin and Pallas refer
to it in this respect in their travels in Siberia. Within the last
few years, its use has extended elsewhere; and it is now frequently
employed in Russia, Germany, and Italy, It is said to be often
adulterated with the leonurus cardiaca, ballota nigra and marru-
bium;f and it is important, that the genuine Siberian plant should
be used, as the observations of Brera have shown the cultivated
plant to be very powerless. For medicinal purposes, the whole
plant has been employed, with the exception of the root.
The diseases, in which the ballota lanata has been adminis-
* Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimit. S. 59, Stuttgart, 1837.
t Schmidt's Jahrbuch der in- und auslandisch. gesammt. Medicin. B. iv, S
275, and Riecke, Op. cit. S. 68.
BALLOTA LANATA.
89
tered abroad—for it has not been employed in this country—are
the following:—
1. Dropsy.—Rehmann prescribed it several times with decided
advantage; and where organic disease prevented the cure, the
urinary secretion was always largely augmented by it. The che-
mical condition of the urine was likewise strikingly changed
during its use; at first, it was whitish, afterwards darker, and
ultimately almost black or of a deep brown, like the darkest
beer. At times, according to Rehmann, when the accumulation
of fluid was pretty well removed, a pain would occur in the
hypochondres, indicating that the use of the ballota should be
laid aside. Schilling, in Werchny-Udinsk, asserts, that he cured
several cases of dropsy by it. Rupprecht and Muhrbeck admin-
istered it with the best effects, and Brera* found it extremely
serviceable in hydropic conditions, especially where they had
been preceded by, or were complicated with, rheumatic or gouty
affections. Luzzato prescribed it with equal success; and Hey-
felder who gave it according to the prescription of the Russian
physicians, observed the urine to be of a blackish yellow hue at
the commencement, and afterwards of a very dark colour. He
found, however, that to keep up the diuresis it was requisite to
combine it with other diuretics, or to change it for other agents.
2. Rheumatism and Gout.—In these diseases, the ballota is
administered in Siberia. Brera, as well as his compatriots, Ghi-
della, Fontebuoni and Luzzato, have tested its efficacy by repeated
trials. The pains generally soon disappeared under its use, and
a cure took place without a relapse.
3. Adiposis.—In a case of tbis kind, it was exhibited in St.
Petersburg by Dr. Weisse. The fatness wTas inordinate, and the
remedy acted most favourably. It did not, however, occasion
diuresis, but under its use an hemorrhoidal flux returned, which
had previously been arrested.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
Decoction is the best form for administering the plant; from
^ss to |j to iviij of water;—this portion to be divided into two
halves, and to be taken in the course of the day. Rehmann boils
^iss to ^ij of the coarse powdered plant in ffjij of water down to
half; to which he adds, according to circumstances, some diffusi-
ble excitant or a few drops of laudanum. Of this mixture he
directs a cupful to be taken morning and evening, gradually
increasing the dose.
* Antologia Medica, No. 2. Febbrajo, 1835.
90
BARYI IODIDUM.
BARYI IODIDUM
Synonymes. Baryum lodatum, Iodide of Baryum.
German.—Iod baryum.
In solution, Baryta? Hydriodas, Hydras Baryi Iodati, Baryta Hydriodica,
Hydriodate of Baryta.
German. IodwasserstofFsaure Schwererde; Hydriodsaurer Baryt.
This preparation has been introduced quite recently.
MODE OF PREPARING.
According to Tunnermann, the iodide of Baryum is prepared
by heating the hydriodate of baryta for a sufficient length of
time, excluding the light: by the admission of air, the iodide is
converted into baryum and free iodine. As the iodine of bary-
um, when it comes in contact with water,—as is commonly the
case in prescriptions,—is immediately converted into hydriodate
of baryta, it is simpler to employ the latter altogether.
The hydriodate of baryta is obtained by boiling baryta earth in
a solution of iodide of iron in water (made by taking one part of
pure iron filings, and four parts of iodine, pouring upon them
from six to eight parts of water, agitating frequently and apply-
ing warmth gently until the fluid appears clear and almost colour-
less,) or, what is cheaper, by boiling the solution of iodide of iron
with carbonate of baryta, which must be added in small portions
so long as there is any effervescence.
The fluid obtained by either process, after filtering, must be
clear and neutral, and yield no bluish or blue precipitate with
the ferrocyanate of potassa; should it yield a precipitate, the
decomposition of the salt of iron is incomplete. Should the solu-
tion, formed in the first manner, have an alkaline reaction, the
excess of baryta must be removed by exposing the mixture to the
air, whereby it becomes converted into a carbonate, and falls to
the bottom. The solution is then evaporated until a pellicle
forms, the heat being gentle; the crystals are placed quickly
between printing paper (Druckpapier) and kept in a wTell stopped
glass vessel. They form white radiated plates, which easily
deliquesce in the air, and on that account cannot be prescribed
in the form of powder, but may be dissolved in some aromatic
water.
BERBERINA.
91
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
Jahn instituted several experiments with the iodide of baryum
and the hydriodate of baryta, both on plants, on animals, and on
man in a state of health and disease. In considerable doses, it
acts as a poison on the organism, and as one of the acrid class.
Administered in very small doses, and with great circumspection,
he found it to be serviceable in scrofulous and similar morbid con-
ditions, and as an alterative in morbid growths, hypertrophy,
chronic inflammation, &c, in which conditions it proved equally
useful with the muriate of baryta, mercury, or iodine.* Jahn's ob-
servations did not, however, lead him to speak positively regarding
its advantages or defects; and he adds the caution—" Caute, per
Deos, incede, latet ignis sub cinere doloso." Jahn's observations
were published in 1830, and, according to Riecke, he has been
since silent on the subject. Rothamel administered the hydriodate
in a desperate case of scrofula, occurring in a patient twenty-one
years of age, with great success. He began with one eighth of a
grain three times a day, and increased the dose gradually during
a protracted administration of the article, until three grains were
taken four times daily.
Biett has administered it frequently in cases of scrofulous swell-
ings, and at times externally, according to the following form:—
R. Baryi iodid. gr. iv.
Adipis, 5j. M. fiat unguentum.
BERBERINA.
Synonymes. Berberinum, Berberine.
German. Berberin.
The inner bark of the Berberis vulgaris is of a yellow colour,
and a bitterish, somewhat astringent, taste. It is cathartic, and
was formerly used in jaundice; originally, perhaps, in consequence
* Riecke, Op. cit. S. 71.
92
BERBERINA.
of the " signature " of the yellow colour.* In more modern times,,
it has been again recommended in the same disease on the faith of
experiments.f
The bitter principle of the root was discovered a few years ago
by Buchner and Herberger, and its properties have been investi-
gated by Brandes.J' Buchner first recommended, at a meeting of
the German Association of Naturalists and Physicians in the year
1834, that it should be received into the Materia Medica; but
hitherto few experiments have been made with it.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
An alcoholic extract of the root of the berberis vulgaris is pre-
pared, to which water is added. This throws down a pulveru-
lent brown substance; the fluid is then poured off; and the sub-
stance dried; it is then treated with alcohol, which takes up the
berberine, leaving a small portion undissolved. By evaporating
the alcohol, the berberine remains.§
Thus prepared, berberine resembles an extract; it is of a
brownish yellow colour, translucent, and smells like the root;
its taste is a pure bitter, and it becomes soft in the air. Buchner||
succeeded in obtaining the bitter principle pure, and in a crystal-
line form. Its reaction is neither alkaline nor acid; it is soluble
in alcohol and water, but not so readily in the latter as in the
former. When crystallised, it requires 600 parts of water for its
solution; whilst in alcohol, at a medium temperature, it is soluble
in 100 parts. It approximates the alcaloids in its nature, as with
certain acids it forms crystallisable compounds. It is not soluble
in ether. The brownish yellow solution formed by it is turned
of a reddish brown by alkalies, like the infusion of rhubarb, and
acids restore the colour.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
According to Buchner, no injurious consequences are to be ap-
prehended from the administration of berberine as a therapeutical
agent: of this he had an opportunity of satisfying himself both on
his own person and on others. When labouring under indigestion,
* Ray's Historia Plant, ii, 605.
f Lond. Med. Repos., new series, i, 38.
X Archiv. der Apotheker Vereins, ii, 29.
I Riecke, Op. cit. S. 442.
|| Journal de Pharmacie, xxi, 309. and Philadelphia Journal of Pharmacy,
vii, 328. Philadelphia, 1835. 3
BIGNONIA CATALPA.
93
he took it with the best effects; not only was the dyspepsia re-
moved, but also a yellow hue of the skin which had previously
existed. He recommends it, therefore, as an excellent stomachic,
especially when there is disturbance of the functions of the liver.
In doses of two, five or ten grains, it only aids the appetite, but
in larger doses—fifteen to twenty grains—it acts upon the bowels
without inducing tormina, and therefore not as a drastic.
Within the last few years Koch has published some observa-
tions on the use of the berberine. He treated several cases with
it as prepared by Buchner himself, when he found all his results
confirmed, and that it merited a high rank amongst bitter agents.
He gives two cases of marked disturbance of the digestive func-
tion, in which the berberine afforded essential service.
BIGNONIA CATALPA (SILIQU^E.)
Synonymbs. Catalpa, Catalpa Cordifolia, C. Arborescens, C. Arborea, Catalpa
or Catawba Tree.
The Bignonia Catalpa belongs to the natural family Bignonia-
ceas; class Didynamia; order Angiospermia. It is a tree well
known in this country, but is not applied to any medicinal use.
According to Kampfer and Thunberg, the Japanese physicians
consider the pods of the Bignonia Catalpa to be a powerful remedy
in different asthmatic affections. This gave occasion to several
Neapolitan physicians—and especially to Professor Antonucci—
to institute experiments in reference to its virtues, and their report
was decidedly favourable. Brera also extols it in asthma.
As to the precise mode in which it acts, we have no exact in-
formation. Dierbach and Richter, according to Riecke,* place it
amongst the Acria; whilst, according to the analysis of Grosso,f
it seems more probable that its active principle is of a fatty nature,
resembling the butter of the cacao. We think it extremely pro-
bable, that it possesses no other virtues than those of a simple
demulcent, and that the properties ascribed to it have been mainly,
* Op. cit. S. 72.
f Gazette Medicale de Paris, 1834, p. 8.
9
94
BOLETUS LARICIS.
if not wholly, derived from the substances associated with it.
Brera, for example, administered it with thejfollowing additions;*
R. Siliquar. catalp. ^ss.
Aquae fontan. q. s. ad colatur. ^viij.
Adde
Oxymel. scillae, ^ss.
Or
R. Siliquar. catalp. 5ss.
Senegae rad. 3ij-
Aquae fontan. q. s. ad colatur. ^viij.
Adde
Oxymel. scillae, ^i.
To be taken by little and little.
BOLETUS LARICIS.
Synonymes. Boletus purgans, B. albus, Agaricus albus, Fungus Laricis, Po-
lyporus officinalis, Fungus of the Larch.
French. Agaric blanc.
German. Lerschenschwamm,
This fungus grows on the stem and larger branches of the
larch. Formerly it was administered as a cathartic, but in this
respect it has become obsolete. Still it is retained in many phar-
macopoeias ; for example, in those of Amsterdam, Bavaria, Bruns-
wick, Paris, Ferrara, Geneva, Hamburg, Hanover, Oldenburg,
Poland, Prussia, Saxony, Sweden, Wirtemberg, and Wurzburg.
Recently, it has been administered frequently in the colliquative
sweats of phthisis. Barbut of Nismes made many trials with it,f
which were favourable; and the experience of Andral was
* Ricettario Clinico, Pad. 1825.
t Burdach, in Journal der praktisch. Heilkund. von Hufeland, Mar. 1830.
BKAYERA ANTHELMINTICA.
95
similar.* More recently, however, he has expressed the opi-
nion, that no great advantage has been derived from it.f
By several of the German physicians equally advantageous
results have been obtained—as by Toel and Trautzsch—so that,
as RieckeJ suggests, it deserves, perhaps, to be better known and
investigated. Recently, Kopp has added his testimony in its
favour.§
Formerly, as a cathartic, half a dram to a dram of the pow-
dered boletus was given. In profuse diaphoresis it is adminis-
tered in doses of from two to six grains. This dose, repeated
for a few evenings, according to Barbut, arrests the sweating;—
Riecke thinks, through its revellent excitation of the abdominal
nerves; for which reasons he suggests, that the propriety of the
union of opiates with it, to prevent its purgative effect, may be
questionable.
Kopp gives it in the dose of three grains', morning, noon, and
night. If it acts upon the bowels, which is rarely the case, the
dose must be diminished.
i
BRAYERA ANTHELMINTICA.
This plant is a native of Abyssinia, and belongs to the family
Rosaceoe Sanguisorbeae of Decandolle, Icosandria Digynia of
Linnseus. It was first taken from Abyssinia to Europe by Dr.
Brayer, from whom it received its name. The flowers are the
parts used in»medicine, and they yield, on examination, an
extractive matter, containing tannin, which is most readily taken
up by hot water, and consequently, the decoction is the best pre-
paration.
In Abyssinia,*the flowers of the brayera are said to have been
employed with the greatest success in tapeworm, but in Europe,
* Journal de Pharmacie, vol. xx.
f Cours de Pathologie interne, &c. recueilli et redige par A. Latour, p. 157.
Edit, de Bruxelles, 1837.
X Op. cit. S. 73.
\ Denkwardigk. in der arztlich. Praxis. Frankf. 1836, S. 344, cited by
Riecke.
96
BRAYERA ANTHELMINTICA.
no experiments had been made with them until Dr. Plieninger,
having become acquainted with a missionary from Abyssinia,
and heard his description of their wonderful effects, obtained
some of the flowers from him,* which he subjected to his friend,
Dr. Kurr, who descried on examination the principles above
mentioned. .
With the rest of the flowers Dr. Plieninger made trial in two
cases. He took a handful of the blossoms, about |j or §iss and
boiled them in Jxvi of water down to one half, adding to the
strained liquor as much honey as counteracted, in some measure,
the objectionable taste. This decoction was taken by a delicate
woman about 30 years of age, who had previously taken the ex-
tractum filicis maris in pilular form, according to Peschier's plan,
without success. In the course of the day she passed numerous
fragments of taenia, mixed with mucous discharges, without ex-
periencing any striking inconvenience from the remedy. From
this time, she remained free from the parasite.
A robust man, 38 years of age, who had taken large quantities
of tartar emetic in consequence of violent inflammation of the
lungs,—whilst he lay sick of this disease, discharged a great many
portions of taenia, without having previously exptrienced any
inconvenience from the presence of the entozoon. In July, 1834,
he took the same decoction. Since then he has had no appearance
of the taenia in his evacuations.
Although but few cases have occurred in which ffie brayera
has been administered in European practice, Dr. Plieninger con-
siders that it is a valuable addition to the materia medica, inas-
much as it can be administered to delicate persons and children,
without violence being done to the whole organism, as is the
case with many of the true authelmintics. The article has not
been imported in sufficient quantities into Europe to admit of the
necessary trials for fully testing its efficacy. In this country—so
far as we know—it has not yet been seen.
BROMINUM.
Synonymes. Bromium, Brominium, Muride, Bromine.
French. Brome.
German. Brom.
This elementary substance was discovered in 1826, by Balard,
of Montpellier. In its chemical properties it is allied to chlorine
* Riecke, Op. cit. S. 73.
BROMINUM.
97
and iodine. Balard detected it whilst occupied in some investi-
gations on the water of saltponds, and gave it the name bromine
—from P^u/ms, "a stench or smell"—on account of its disagree-
able odour. It is met with chiefly in sea water, and in certain
animal and vegetable substances that live therein. It has like-
wise been found in many mineral waters, of this and other
countries, and especially in the salt springs—as of Salina, by
Professor Silliman, and of Kenawha, by Professor Emmet.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
Balard's mode of preparing bromine consists in passing a cur-
rent of chlorine through bittern, after which ether is added, and
the two liquids are strongly agitated. The chlorine decomposes
the hydrobromate of magnesia—the form in which the bromine ex-
ists in the bittern—and converts the hydrobromate into a muriate
of magnesia, setting the bromine free. The ether dissolves the
evolved bromine, the mixture assuming a hyacinth red colour.
The ethereal solution is agitated with caustic potassa, by which
hydrobromate of potassa is generated; the ether becoming co-
lourless and pure, and fit to be used for dissolving fresh portions
of bromine. When a sufficient quantity of the hydrobromate has
been obtained, it is mixed in a retort with peroxide of manganese,
and acted on by dilute sulphuric acid, by which the bromine is
given off. The sulphuric acid sets free the hydrobromic acid,
which, at the moment of its disengagement, is deprived of its
hydrogen, by the oxygen of the peroxide of manganese, and is
thereby converted into bromine. The bromine passes over in
reddish vapours, and is made to condense under water, contained
in an appropriate receiver.
M. Bussy* prefers the following form.. The mother waters of
kelp {Soude de Varecq,) after iodine has been precipitated from
them by means of chlorine, contain bromine in the state of a
metallic bromide, when care is taken to add no more chlorine
than is required to precipitate all the iodine. To 1250 parts of
these mother waters, 32 parts of peroxide of manganese in powder,.
and 24 of common sulphuric acid at 66° are added. The mixture
is then put into a tubulated glass retort, to which a tubulated re-
ceiver is adapted, and to the latter a tube, which dips into a flask.
The retort and receiver as well as the tube must be ground so as
to fit accurately without lutes or corks, which would be destroyed
by the chloride.
* Journal de Pharmacie, Janvier, 1837.
9*
98 BROMINUM.
Every thing being arranged, the retort is heated until the liquid
is made to boil, when the bromine condenses in the receiver under
the form of red oily striae, with a small quantity of water. The
operation must be arrested when the red vapours cease to be
produced. .
By slightly heating the receiver, without dismounting the appa-
ratus, the bromine may be made to pass over into the flask, in
which it will condense on cooling.
The mother waters used in this preparation should not be re-
jected, until it is evident on the addition of a fresh quantity of sul-
phuric acid and oxide of manganese, that they contain no. more
bromine.
Bromine, at the ordinary temperature, is a fluid of a blackish
red colour, when regarded in quantities,—but of a hyacinth red
when placed in a thin layer between the eye and the light. Its
smell is strong and disagreeable, resembling that of chlorine. Its
taste is strong. It colours the skin yellow—the colour gradually
disappearing of itself. Its specific gravity is 2.966. It is readily
set free; and, when volatilised, assumes the form of dark red
vapours. It boils at 117°; is soluble in water, and the solution is
of a yellow colour. In its chemical relations with other bodies,
bromine, as before observed, resembles chlorine and iodine; but
the chlorine appears to have more power, and the iodine less,
than the bromine, as the bromine is separated from all its combi-
nations by the chlorine, whilst it decomposes the compounds of
iodine, and assumes the place of the latter. It forms acids both
with oxygen and hydrogen..
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN HEALTH.
Experiments have been instituted to discover the influence of
bromine on the animal economy, and especially by Barthez.* In
this respect, also, bromine resembles iodine, and like it belongs to
the class of irritant poisons. Twelve grains of bromine, dissolved
in water, and injected into the jugular vein of a dog, destroyed it
almost instantaneously. Cc-ugh occurred; the respiration and
circulation were accelerated; the pupils dilated; the male organ
was erect; and these signs were followed by involuntary dis-
charge of the excrement, and at times stiffness of the upper and
lower extremities. On dissection, Barthez found the cavities of the
heart full of coagulated blood, and the lungs gorged with the same
* De 1'Action du Brome, &c. (These) Paris, 1828. See, also, Fournet, in
Bulletin General de Th£rapeutique, Fevrier, 1838.
BR0MINUM.
99
fluid; in the venae cavae there were dark coagula; and, in the
stomach and intestines, small, bloody, blackish cylinders, similar
to cylinders of lunar caustic.
The same quantity introduced into the stomach caused death in
three or four days, when the oesophagus was tied; when, however,
the animal was able to vomit, fifty to sixty drops were requisite.
The poison acts less intensely when it is given in conjunction with
aliment; it produces coughing, excitement, nausea and vomiting:
constant sucking of the tongue was noticed, with frequently
extraordinary restlessness and anxiety, and debility gradually aug-
menting until death. On opening the body the stomach has been
found contracted; the mucous membrane wrinkled, at times soft-
ened, and frequently the seat of roundish ulcerations of an ashy
green colour. Near the pylorus, Barthez found black spots, which
could be readily scraped off with the back of the scalpel, and left
gangrenous ulcers exposed. Barthez recommends magnesia as an
antidote to bromine, but he rests his recommendation on a single
observation only. Butzke obtained similar results from his experi-
ments. In one case, only, in which a dog died a few hours after a
dose of three drams of bromine, he found the intestines unchanged,
and death could only be ascribed to the paralysing influence of
the poison on the nervous system.*
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
Pourche first used both the pure bromine and the hydro-bromate
of potassa for therapeutical purposes. He found it very effica-
cious in scrofula, especially in dispersing strumous swellings, both
when given internally and applied externally.f
In a case of very large goitre it was highly serviceable. Ac-
cording to Pourche's observation, it excited heat in the face,
headach, dryness of the throat, &c, which, however, soon disap-
peared. Pourche gave the bromine internally, diluted with forty
parts of distilled water, beginning with five or six drops of this
mixture, and gradually raising the dose. It has also been added
in a dilute state to lotions and cataplasms. The remedy is not,
however, much used.
Magendie frequently administered the bromine, but more com-
monly some of its preparations. He prescribed it in cases in which
the iodine did not appear to exert the proper efficacy, or where
* Christison on Poisons, 3d edit. p. 186.
f Bulletin General de Therapeutique, No. 14. Juillet 30,1837.
100
BRUCINA.
the patient had become accustomed to its use. The diseases in
which he used it were chiefly scrofula, amenorrhea, and hypertro-
phy of the ventricles of the heart.
More recently, it has been administered by M. Fournet,* in
cases of chronic arthritis, both internally and externally; but his
facts, as he himself remarks, were too few to enable him to de-
duce any general conclusions as to the therapeutical value of the
remedy in those affections. He always gave it in a pure state,
in the form of mixture, with a solution of gum: externally, it was
applied in the form of alcoholic mixture to the affected joints.
The dose was at first two drops in four ounces of the vehicle;
and it was gradually increased by two drops at a time, until
as much as sixty drops were given in the twenty-four hours.
The alcoholic mixture, used by M. Fournet as an external ap-
plication, consisted, at the commencement, of ten drops of the
bromine to an ounce of alcohol: this was augmented daily by five
drops until it reached one hundred and twenty drops.
The preparations of bromine are described in other parts of this
volume.
BRUCINA.
Synonymes. Brucinum, Brucia, Brucium, Brucine.
This alkaloid was discovered by Pelletier and Caventou in
1819, in the bark of the false angustura {brucea antidysenterica.)
It is found also in small quantities in the nux vomica, and in St.
Ignatius's bean.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
An alcoholic extract of the false angustura bark is prepared,
which is dissolved in a large quantity of cold water, and filtered,
in order to separate the fatty matter.
The colouring matter is precipitated by acetate of lead, the
excess of this is thrown down by sulphuretted hydrogen gas,
* Bulletin G^n^ral de Therapeutique, F^vrier, 1838.
BRUCINA.
101
and the brucine by an alkaline base, for which purpose mag-
nesia may be employed. The precipitate from the magnesia is
then washed, dried, and treated with alcohol, which lays hold
of the brucine: this is obtained by evaporation. As the brucine
is somewhat soluble, the precipitate of the magnesia ought not to
be washed too much. The brucine thus obtained is coloured, but
it may be procured colourless by forming an oxalate of brucine,
and treating it with a mixture of equal parts of alcohol and ether.
The oxalate is thus deprived of its colouring matter; after which
it is decomposed by magnesia, and the brucine is thus obtained
wholly pure and devoid of colour.
Pure brucine is of a white colour, and forms regular crystals in
the form of oblique prisms, having a base representing a parallelo-
gram; it has a pearly lustre, tastes very bitter, and is soluble in
500 parts of boiling water, and in 850 parts of cold. In alcohol ,
it dissolves readily, from which solution it is obtained in the cry-
stalline form. When exposed to the influence of heat, it melts at
a temperature very little above that of boiling water. At a higher
temperature it is decomposed, and affords the same products as
vegetable substances that do not contain azote. With the acids,
brucine forms neutral salts, which differ from the salts of strych-
nine. The sulphate of brucine crystallises in very fine needles,
and resembles the sulphate of morphine, but has a much more
bitter taste. The nitrate of brucine does not crystallise, which con-
stitutes an essential difference between brucine and strychnine.
With an excess of nitric acid, the salt has a beautiful pearly
{nacre) colour.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
Brucine acts energetically on the animal economy in the same
manner as the false angustura, but much more strongly. It is
similar, in its operation, to strychnine, but is considered to be
weaker in the proportion of one to ten, according to Pelletier; one
to twelve, according to Magendie;* and one to twenty-four, ac-
cording to Andral.f
It. requires four grains of brucine to kill a rabbit, whilst half
a grain of strychnine is sufficient. A tolerably strong dog, to
which three grains of brucine had been given, was affected with
symptoms resembling tetanus, but did not succumb.
Pelletier is of opinion that brucine, or rather the alcoholic ex-
tract of the false angustura, might be substituted in practice for'
* Formulaire, &c. des Nouveaux Medicamcns, &c.
f Journal de Physiologie de Magendie, iii, 267, Juillet, 1823.
102
BRUCINA.
the extract of nux vomica; its operation is nearly the same, whilst
there is no danger of its acting too violently.
Andral has frequently prescribed brucine, and his deductions
are, that we have it far more under our control than strychnine.
Like strychnine, it has been given in cases of paralysis with vary-
ing success. It would appear to have acted most beneficially in
paralysis resulting from lead poisoning. Magendie administered
it in two cases of atrophy, one of the leg, and the other of the
arm, w7ith success.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
Brucine, according to Magendie, may be given either in pills
or tincture; gradually augmenting the dose. Andral raised it
from' half a grain to five grains. Magendie recommends, that the
alkaloid should always be that obtained from the false angustura;
the brucine of the nux vomica being mixed with a portion of
strychnine, which adds to its activity, and renders it difficult to
determine the dose. The following formulae are recommended
by him:—
Pilules Brucince.
Pills of Brucine.
R. Brucin. pur. gr. xij.
Conserv. rosar. Jss. M. exactiss. et fiant pilulae xxiv.
One pill to be begun with—twice a day.
Tinctura Brucince.
{French, Alcool de Brucine.)
Tincture of Brucine.
R. Alcohol (36° Areom.) 5j.
Brucin. gr. xviij. M.
Of this tincture, from six to twenty-four drops may be gi
in the form of mixture, in any vehicle.
CAINCiE RADIX. 103
Mistura Brucince.
Mixture of Brucine.
{Potio Stimulans.)
R. Brucin. gr. vi.
Aqua? destillat. 5iv.
Sacchar, alb. 5y. M.
Dose.—A table-spoonful night and morning.
Magendie.
CAINCiE RADIX.
Synonymes.—Rad. Chiococcffi, R. Cainante, R. Caninanae, R. Cahincse, R.
Kahincse, R. Serpentarise Braziliensis; Cainca Root.
Portuguese.—Raiz Crusadinha, R. Preta.
German.—Caincawurzel.
The plant, which furnishes the root introduced into Europe of
late years, and which has since become known as a remedial agent,
is the Chiococca anguifuga, of the family Rubiaceae, sexual sys-
tem, Pentandria Monogynia.* The shrub grows wild in the
forest of Brazil, especially in the province of Minas Geraes, and
the root is used there against the bites of serpents. This root is
of the thickness of the finger, round, and knotty; the surface
smooth or irregularly wrinkled; the wood tough and of a whitish
colour; the smell disagreeable, especially that of the fresh root;
and the taste at first like that of coffee, but afterwards nauseous
and pungent. The bark of the root alone possesses efficacy, the
woody portion having no action. The bark separates readily
from the wood; it is thicker on the root itself than on its branches:
and on the outside, is of an amber, or brownish yellow green
colour; yellower and brighter on the youngest parts: the epider-
mis is not easily separated. According to the chemical investi-
* Art. Chiococca, in Encyclopad. Wflrterb. vii, 521. Berl. 1831, and Von
Martius, Spec. Mat. Med. Brasil, i, 18.
104
CAINCE RADIX.
nations of Pelletier and Caventou,* the following are found to be
fhe constituents of the bark:-l. A bitter principle, crystalhsable
n small, white, silky, shining needles; inodorous, and very solu-
HeTn hot alcohol, which communicates to the whole plant a
degree of astringent bitterness, and at the same time has an acu?
reaction on litmus paper. In order to separate to acid, which
has been termed by those chemists the Acidum Cahincxcum, in a
pure state, the alcoholic extract of the root must be dissolved in
water, filtered, and precipitated by lime, until the fluid loses all
bitterness; the precipitate is then decomposed by oxalic acid and
boiling alcohol; or the acetic or muriatic acid may be dropped
into L aqueous decoction of the bark of the root, and, in the
course of a few days, the acidum cahincicum will separate in the
form of small crystals. With the cahincic acid, prepared m this.
way, however, some colouring matter is still united. 2. A fatty,
sreen, nauseous smelling substance, which communicates to the
plant its smell. 3. Yellow colouring matter, and 4. A viscid
colouring matter.f
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
The effect of the cainca root seems to be especially exerted on
the digestive and urinary organs. It occasions watery evacua-
tions and diuresis. From the experiments, however, of Albers,J
made on a great number of dropsical patients, in the Charite at
Berlin, he was induced to deny its diuretic powers, and to place
it amongst the drastic purgatives, by the side of the helleborus
niger. Wolff was of the same opinion. According to Von
Langsdorf,§ it is a highly efficacious emmenagogue, possessing
als0__to use his own language—considerable resolvent virtues,
and hence employed in dropsies, that are connected with obstruc-
tions in the abdomen. Riecke,|J asserts, that he had occasion to
employ it in two cases of ascites complicated with induration of
the liver. He had no expection of effecting a radical cure, but
it afforded no palliation; diuresis was not excited, whilst nausea,
colic, and diarrhoea supervened, so that he discontinued it: he
gave it in decoction. Others have observed the same inconve-
nience from its use, or have found it wholly ineffectual; for exam-;
^Journal General de Medecine, Mai, 1830, and Phil. Journ. of Pharmacy,
iii. 165. Philad. 1831.
f Journal de Pharmacie, xvi, 465.
X Medicin. Zeitung. No. iv. Sept. 1832.
\ Hecker's Litter. Annal. B. iv. S. 395, and Rust's Repertorium, B. xiv.
S.458.
|| Die neuern Arzneimittel, u. s. w. S. 84. Stuttgart, 1837.
CAINCE RADIX.
105
pie, B. Heyfelder, Reinhardt, Bartels,* and others. Riecke
suggests the possibility, in these cases, of adulteration of the
drug. On the other hand, the cainca has been highly extolled by
Francois, Ribes, Wagner, Solieer, L6wenstein,f &c, but particu-
larly by Von Langsdorf.
The main diseases in which the cainca is recommended, are,
First. Dropsies, in which many favourable trials have been made
by Von Langsdorf, Spitta,J Guddoy, Engler, Francois, Wagner,
Solieer, Robredo,§ &c. Secondly. Intestinal worms, against
which it appears to act like other drastics. Thirdly. In ob
structed menstruation; on this subject, however, farther trials are
needed. When it operates as an emmenagogue it is probably
altogether like cathartics that act more especially on the lower
part of the bowels, that is, by contiguous sympathy. Fourthly.
M. Frangois has recommended it highly in catarrhus vesica, but
the experience of others has not confirmed this.|| It may be men-
tioned, that in its native country, it is used for rheumatic pains;
in a peculiar kind of pica experienced by the negroes of South
America; and, as already remarked, against the bites of serpents.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The cainca is given in various forms—powder, infusion, and
decoction; and, besides these, a tincture and an extract have been
made of it. A syrup and a wine have also been recommended.
To form the latter, one ounce of the powdered root is infused in a
pint of wine; the tincture is made with one part of the root and
eight parts of alcohol at 20°. The alcoholic extract is considered
to be the most uniform in strength, and has therefore been preferred
by many. The syrup is formed by dissolving 3iiss of the extract
in a little alcohol, mixing this with a pint of hot simple syrup, and
allowing it to boil for some time, in order that the alcohol may
evaporate. The dose of the powder is from di to 5ss in the twenty-
four hours. It appears, however, to be the most objectionable form,
and to give rise to unfavourable symptoms more frequently than
the others. Opinions vary as to whether the infusion or the decoc -
tion should be preferred. According to Caventou and Pelletier,
* Grafe und Walther's Journal der Chirurgie, u. s. w. xxiv, S. 470. Ber-
lin, 1836.
f De radice Caincte ejusque in morbis hydropicis virtute. Berol. 1828.
\ Hecker's Litterar. Annal. iv. 396.
§ Journal de la Academia de Medicina de Megico. Oct. 1836, and Brit.
and For. Med. Review, p. 562, Apl. 1838.
j| Bulletin General de Therapeutique, No. 13, Juillet, 1837.
10
106
CAINOE RADIX.
boiling extracts very well the efficacious parts of .the root, and
there are cases in which the decoction has rendered essential ser-
vice after the infusion had been administered without success. Of
the decoction, from 3j to 3iij are given in the day. Of the ex-
tract, the dose, in the"twenty-four hours, is twenty to thirty grains;
of the tincture 3j to 31J *
The decoction, used by Spitta and others, was made as follows:
Decoctum Radicis Caincce.
Decoction of Cainca Root.
R. Rad. caincse, 3U-
Coque cum aquae commun. ffciss ad dimidiam partem, et cola,
Dose.—A table-spoonful three times a day.
Von Langsdorf.j
By others, the following form has been employed,
R. Rad. cainc. ^j.
Aquae commun. fhij.
Coque ad dimidiam partem et cola.
D0Se.—Two table-spoonfuls three or four times a day.
Engler.
Dr. John H. Griscom4 of New York, considers there is a re-
markable analogy between the cainca and the apocynum canna-
dinum. .
The Acidum Cahincicum, described above, is said to possess
tonic, cathartic and diuretic powers, and has been used success-
fully in some cases by Francois, in the dose of six grains gradu-
ally increased to fifteen.
* Journal de Chimie Medicale, Mai, 239-242. Paris, 1827.
f Hufeland und Osann'6 Journ. B. lxii, St. 2.
X Amer. Journal of the Medical Sciences, for May, 1833, p. 55.
CALCIS CHLORIDUM. 107
CALCIS CHLORIDUM.
Synonymes. Calcis Hypochloris, Oxychloruretum Calcii, Protochloruretum
Calcii; Chloruretum Oxydi Calcii, Bichloruretum Calcis, Oxymurias Calcis,
Calx Oxymuriatica, C. Chlorinata, Calcaria Chlorata, Chlorum Calcariae,
Chloretum Calcarise, Calcaria Chlorica, Chloride or Chloruret of Lime, Ten-
nant's Bleaching Powder.
French. Protoxichlorure de Calcium, Oxichlorure de Chaux, Chlorure
d'Oxide de Calcium, Bichlorure de Chaux, Oximuriate de Chaux, Muriate
Suroxio-ene ou Oxigene de Chaux, Chlorate ou Souschlorate de Chaux,
Poudre'de Blanchement, Poudre de Tennant.
German. Kalkchlorid, Chlorkalk.
Chloride of lime is a compound of chlorine and oxide of cal-
cium.
METHOD OF EREPARING.
It may be prepared either in the dry or moist way. In the for-
mer case, the chloride is made to act on the hydrate of lime in a
pulverulent form; in the latter, the chlorine, in a gaseous state, is
passed into lime water. For technical purposes, the latter is most
used; for pharmaceutical, the former. In the London pharmaco-
poeia, it is directed to be prepared as follows:—Take of hydrate
of lime a pound, chlorine as much as may suffice; send in the
chlorine to the lime in a proper vessel, till it is saturated. Chlorine
is very easily evolved from binoxide of manganese, mixed with
muriatic acid, by a gentle heat."*
The chloride is generally however obtained from large chemi-
cal establishments.
Chloride of lime has the appearance of a white, loose powder,
of a sour, bitterish and somewhat biting taste, exhaling a marked
smell of chlorine, and dissolving with tolerable facility in water,
at the same time giving off much chlorine gas.f
* Brande's Dictionary of Materia Medica, p. 135. Lond. 1839; and Wood &
Bache's Dispensatory, 4th edit. p. 829. Phila. 1839.
t Link, Art. Chlor, in Encycl. Worterb. der Medicin. Wissenschaft. va.
579. Berlin, 1831.
108
CALCIS CHLORIDUM.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
The action of the chloride of lime is generally esteemed to be
analogous to that of the liquid chlorine; Hufeland, however, as-
similates it to that of the muriate of lime. The data have been
considered as scarcely, perhaps, sufficient to determine its precise
operation. It appears to us, however, to act mainly by means of
its chlorine, which, being loosely combined, is readily disengaged;
—all acids, even the carbonic, occasioning its separation. It is
not much employed internally, but according to Cima, who gave
it in scrofulous affections, it occasions slight pains in the abdo-
men, burning in the stomach, and at times diarrhoea.
As to its internal administration Cima, it has been observed,
gave it in cases of scrofulous swellings. By Cloquet it was used
both internally and externally, in gangrenous ulcers; and by
Grafe, Deschamps, and Graves,* in cases offactor oris.
In a case of pectoral disease, with great faztor of the breath and
expectoration, it was administered by Drs. Graves and Stokes
with remarkable benefit. A pill of three grains of the chloride
with one of opium being given three times a day, and the quantity
being increased to twelve grains a day: the bed was also sprinkled
with a solution of the chloride.
By Reidf it was administered in dysentery, and in a bilious
typhus occurring in summer: by Dr. CoplandJ in the last stage
of typhus fever, when the evacuations were highly offensive,
given in draughts of aromatic water with mucilage ; by Groh,
Cohen, and Schlesier§ in phthisis, and by Grafe in gonorrhoea. In
none of these cases is it presumable, that the chloride of lime pos-
sesses virtues not contained in liquid chlorine.
For external use it has been adopted in various cases, and espe-
cially in ulcers. According to Trusen, an aqueous solution Of the
chloride is proper for torpid ulcers of almost all kinds—the pha-
gedenic, the scrofulous, &c. In syphilitic ulcers it appears to be
of use when the chancre is sloughing, and eats deep into the
flesh. ||
Trusen employed the solution formed by rubbing from 3iij to
* Dublin Hospital reports, vol. v.
•j- Transactions of the Association of Fellows and Licentiates of the College
of Physicians in Ireland, vol. v. 1838.
t Houlton's Appendix to translation of Magendie's Formulary, p. 163.
§ Casper's Wochenschrift fur die {resammte Hoilkunde, No. 37, 1838.
|| Dr. Mene, in Gazette Medicale, Feb. 11, 1832.
CALCIS CHLORIDUM.
109
3iv. of chloride of lime with a pint of water, pouring off the su-
pernatant fluid after it had stood a quarter of an hour, and apply-
ing it by means of pledgets of lint to the ulcer, renewing the ap-
plication whenever the lint became dry. In this way he found
the profuse ichorous secretion from old ulcers diminish, the offen-
sive odour abate, and fresh and healthy granulations spring up.
By the same kind of treatment, phagedenic, herpetic, and scrofu-
lous ulcers generally cicatrised speedily and permanently.*
Trusen employed, at the same time, the antimonium crudum
with cathartics; and in all cases he directed strict repose and re-
gulated diet.
Trusen's observations have been confirmed by many modern
physicians, amongst whom may be mentioned Labarraque, Lis-
franc, Ekl, Lemaire, Heiberg, and Kopp. In ozcena good effects
were observed from it by Horner,f Awl,J Heron,§ and Strathing:
and a solution of it, in the form of injection, was found serviceable
in fistula, by Trusen and Ricord. Even in cancerous ulcers,
recourse has been had to it by Heiberg, Labarraque, Duparcque,
Martinet, &c: and in all cases it corrected the offensive odour,
and, at times, the ulcer itself assumed a more favourable appear-
ance.
Dr. Frohlich|| used it with advantage in a cancerous affection
of the face, in the strength of one part of the chloride to sixteen
parts of water.
In such cases it has been recommended, in order to have the
concentrated action of the chloride, that it should be formed
into a paste by admixture with water, and be applied in this
manner.
It has been used also, in cases of ulceration of the mouth, by
Kopp, Angelot, Heiberg, &c, applied either in the form of solution
or of a soft paste.
In cases of ivounds the application of a solution of the chloride
has been recommended by many, as by Trusen, Ekl, Lisfranc,U
to promote cicatrisation after the inflammation has subsided.
In a case of punctured wound, received in dissecting, and when
the inflammation was proceeding up the arm with alarming
rapidity, and the pain and tension were extreme, the patient
experienced immediate relief from a solution of the chloride used
as a lotion, combined with the free use of leeches.**
* See, also, Houlton's Appendix to Magendie's Formulary, p. 162.
f Amer. Jour, of the Medical Sciences, No. xi.
X Ibid, No. xxii. for Feb 1833, p. 543.
J Ibid. Nov. 1836, p. 271.
|| Medicin. Jahrbiicher des k. k. osterreich. Staates. B. xvii. S. 168. Wien,
1834.
IT Bulletin General de Therapeutique, Juillet, 1838,
** Alcock, Essay en the use of the Chlorurets, &c. London, 1827.
10*
110
CALCIS CHLORIDUM.
Gubian* has proposed to apply a solution of it to prevent the
pitting from small-pox. The maturated pustules are to be opened
and washed with a weak solution; desiccation takes place very
promptly, and, it is said, no marks or pits are left.
On account of its antiseptic properties, the chloride has been
applied in cancrum oris by Labarraque, Richter, Berndt, and
numerous others, and in the sloughing affections of the female
organs of generation of an analogous nature, by Labarraque and
Ekl; in hospital gangrene by Percy, Labarraque, Siedmogrodzki,
Delpech, and Renard; in gangrene of the scrotum, as well as in
ordinary gangrene, by Heiberg and Trusen, in all of which cases
it has been of decided efficacy.f
In such cases it may be applied either in the form of the paste
above mentioned, or in strong solution—^ij. to ffej. of water.
In burns of the second and third degree, when they are not
spread over too great a surface of the body, a solution of the
chloride of lime, according to Trusen, markedly diminishes the
pain, moderates the too great suppuration, and excites, especially
in the second degree, sound granulations, and in the third, speedy
separation of the dead portions, and in both cases a smooth and
firm cicatrix. Either a solution of the chloride united with muci-
laginous substances, or a liniment prepared of the chloride may
be applied.
Lisfranc's observations^ entirely accord with those of Trusen.
Lisfranc applies compresses spread with cerate over the burnt
parts; the compresses having holes in them so that the burnt
places are exposed; they are then covered with lint soaked in a
solution of chloride of lime, which is kept in situ and moistened as
it becomes dry. A solution of the chloride of lime, as well as of
the chloride of soda, may be applied, indeed, with advantage in
the first stage of a burn or scald; and Mr. Holt§ affirms that he
knows nothing so efficacious.in a "black eye."
Dr. Chopin,|| too, affirms, that in wounds produced by contu-
sion, laceration, or by the explosion of gunpowder, where there is
much pain, speedy and certain relief is produced by the chloride
of lime, the dressings being kept constantly wet with a solution of
it; he found it, as well as the chloride of soda, very serviceable
also in cases of sore nipples.
In chilblains the chloride has been used, both in the form of
solution and of liniment with advantage; and not only in ulce
rated pernio, but where the skin was unbroken, by Trusen, Lis-
* Journal de Chimie Medicale, vi. 315.
f Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimittel, u. s. w. Stuttgart, 1837.
X Gazette Medicale, Mars 21, 1835. See also Bulletin General de The-
rapeutique, Juillet, 1838.
§ Lancet, April 6th, 18133.
il Gazette Medicale, Oct. 31, 1835.
CALCIS CHLORIDUM.
Ill
franc, Grafe and others. In many cases, however, it has been
found advantageous to diminish the inflammation by the applica-
tion of leeches before it was employed. In cases of deeper frost
bites than those which produced pernio, the chloride has likewise
proved beneficial.
In salivation, caused by mercury, this agent has been found
valuable,* especially when administered at the beginning of the
increased secretion. When the ptyalism has proceeded to a
greater extent, Trusen uses, at the same time, sulphureous baths.
A collutory of the chloride of lime not only diminishes the exces-
sive secretion from the salivary glands, but speedily mitigates the
sense of burning in the mouth; induces the healing of the erosions
of the mucous membrane, and corrects the mercurial fcetor. In
such cases, we have frequently employed it and with advantage,
although the affection is not much under the control of medicine.
In offensive odours from the mouth, arising from carious teeth,
Regnard employed a solution of the chloride, but it excited the
salivary glands in a disagreeable manner. On the other hand,
E. Grafe recommends it strongly in this very case, and even in
caries itself, both inwardly and externally as a collutory and
tooth powder. In the latter form it is said to" remove speedily
the tartar and yellow depositions on the teeth. By Chevallier
and Kluge the chloride is strongly recommended for cleansing
the mouth. The latter gives a formula for a collutory, which
will be found amongst the prescriptions at the end of this article.
It effectually cleanses the mouth, whilst it does no injury to the
enamel.
In scarlatina, a solution of the chloride may be employed most
advantageously as a gargle, and in the form of ablution to the
surface.f
In scrofulous swellings of the glands, the chloride of lime, ac-
cording to Cima, may be applied with advantage in the form of
ointment, and by Grafe it is recommended in swellings of the joints.
It has likewise been used successfully by Werneck in goitre.
In several chronic eruptions, it has been much extolled—as in
herpes, by Kopp; in the itch, by Heiberg, Derheims,J Ouzel,
Fantonetti,§ Hospital,|| and WittzackTI; in pruritus pudendimulie-
* Elliotson, in Mr. Houlton's Appendix to translation of Magendie's
Formuiiiry. Amer. edit. p. 162. Philad. 1834.
f Dr. Copland, in the Appendix to Houlton's edition of Magendie's Form-
ulary, p. 163. Dr. S. Jackson, of Northumberland, (now of Philadelphia,),in
Amer. Journal of Med. Sciences, xii. 261 and 550, and Ibid, for May, 1838, p.
56. (Dr. J. uses the chloride of soda.)
X Journal de Chirnie Medicale, ii. 575.
§ Bulletin de Therapeutiqne, 1833; and American Journal of the Medical
Sciences, August, 1833, p. 533.
|| Amer. Journal of the Medical Sciences, Nov. 1834, p. 240, (extracted.)
f Caspar's VVochenschrift, Feb. 4, 1837, S. 79.
112
CALCIS CHLORIDUM.
bris, by Darling; and in tinea, by Trusen, Roche, Cottereau, Kopp
and Ebermeier. In the last disease, it is applied in the form of
liniment; in the others, in solution, but in the itch often also in
the form of ointment. Michaelsen recommends the following
method of treating the itch. Take of the chloride of lime from
two to four ounces, according to the degree in which the disease
exists, and the length of time it has been in the system; put this in
a common flask or bottle full of rain or river water, so that as
much as possible may be dissolved. In using it, the patient must
shake the bottle well, in order that some of the undissolved lime
may be taken up. With this, he washes the parts affected with
the itch three or four times a day. Every third or fourth day,
when the skin becomes somewhat rough or irritated, the patient
is made to take a tepid bath, or to wash himself with warm soap
and water, and this until the cure is accomplished. The internal
management is the same as in other plans of treatment. In the
case of young children, the mixture must of course be weaker,
about one ounce to a pound of water. By this plan, the patient,
it is said, is entirely cured, without any unpleasant concomitants,
in from seven to ten days.
The chloride of lime has likewise been applied in purulent
ophthalmia. Varlez* cured contagious blennorrhcea of the eye, by
dropping upon it a solution of the chloride. Colson, Delatte, and
Reynaud,-j- also saw good effects from it, both in acute purulent
ophthalmia, and in chronic ophthalmia with granulations, obscurity
of the cornea, and especially in copious secretion from the meibo-
mian glands. GutfirieJ applied a solution of the chloride suc-
cessfully in three cases of ophthalmia neonatorum; and Pereira§
advises a weak solution in the same cases. Farvagnie used it
beneficially in scrophulous and catarrhal ophthalmia.^
The chloride has likewise been employed advantageously in
other blennorrheas besides the one mentioned, and especially in
the gonorrhceal.^ Grafe, of Berlin,**, affirms that he succeeded
with it when copaiba and cubebs had failed. He used it both in
the form of pill, made as described hereafter, and of injection—
the injection being made by dissolving gr. xxiv. in 5vj. of water,
and adding 5ss. of wine of opium.
But one of the most important of the applications of the chloride
* American Journal of Med. Sciences, i. 459.
f Journal fur Chirurgie, u. s. \v. B. xiv. II. 4.
I Medical and Physical Journal, Nov. 1827.
] Elements of the Mat. Med. pt. i. p. 354. London, 1839.
|| Verhandlunsr der vereinigt. arztlich. Gesellschaft. der Schweiz. Jahr
1829. Zurich, 1830.
IT Alcock, Essay on the use of Chlorurets, &c. London, 1827.
** Amer. Journal of Medical Sciences, and Amer. Journal of Pharmacy, 2d
series, vol. ii. 86. Philadelphia, 1838.
CALCIS CHLORIDUM.
113
is as an antiseptic and disinfecting agent.* It is admirably adapted
for preventing and checking putrefaction, and for correcting the
offensive odour of parts already putrefied :f and hence its applica-
tion is most useful in anatomical investigations.! Some time
before dissection, the body may be enveloped in a cloth wetted
with a solution of the chloride, which must be kept wet by sprin-
kling it from time to time with a solution made of |j. of the chloride
to a pint of water; in this manner the offensive odour is speedily
corrected. The chloride is equally well adapted for purefying
the air of the wards of hospitals, jails, or ships; a little of the solution
being sprinkled from time to time on the floors; or shallow ves-
sels, containing the chloride, being placed in different parts of the
room. It is used, moreover, for neutralising contagious miasmata
dispersed in the air or contained in clothing, furniture, &c. care
being taken in all these cases that due ventilation be practised.
It has been doubted, however,§ and even denied, that its use is
productive of any advantage in preventing the spread of infectious,
contagious, or epidemic diseases. Nay, it has been affirmed to be
positively injurious, by deteriorating the atmosphere, and in this
there may be truth, unless the precautions we have mentioned be
taken. In various cases, in which such diseases have prevailed,
it has destroyed all offensive odour, but the extension of the malady
has not been prevented.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The chloride of lime has been given internally both in the form
of solution and of troches, the dose being from gr. j. to grs. vj. four
to six times a day. Externally, it is generally applied in solution
of different strengths, (from 5J-to 3iv. to eight ounces of water)—
the solution being decanted to remove the particles of lime from
it, unless where it is considered advisable to employ the turbid
solution.
In cases of very offensive evacuations from the bowels, ten or
fifteen grains may be added to a common enema. It is likewise
* Labarraque, on the use of the Chlorides of Soda and Lime, translated by
Jacob Porter. New Haven, 1829.
f Alcock, Op. cit.
X Magendie, Forrnulaire, &c.
j Observation on the chlorides and chlorine as " disinfecting agents,'' and
as preventives of cholera. By H. Bronson. M.D. Boston, 1832. See, also,
American Journal of the Medical Sciences, for Feb. 1833, p. 481; Dr. Albers, in
London Med. Gaz. viii. 410, (as to its inefficacy in cholera;) and Pereira, Op.
cit. p. 352. London, 1839.
114 CALCIS CHLORIDUM.
applied in the form of ointment and liniment, and also of a paste
made by admixture with water.
The following forms have been given for its administration.*
Trochisci Calcis Chloridi.
Lozenges of Chloride of Lime.
R Calcis Chlorid. 3ij.
Sacchar. alb. Iviij.
Amyl. §j.
Gum. tragac. 3j-
Carmin. grs. iij.
M. Fiant trochisci. pond, gr, iij.
One of these to be taken three or four times a day, and allowed
to dissolve in the mouth, in cases of fcetor oris.
Deschamps.
Mistura Calcis Chloridi.
Mixture of Chloride of Lime.
R Calcis chlorid. 3J-
Emuls. amygd. 5vij.
Syrup, gummos. 5j. M.
A table-spoonful every three hours in gonorrhoea.
E. GRAEFE.f
Pilulce Calcis Chloridi.
Pills of Chloride of Lime.
R Calcis chlorid. Jj.
Ext. opii. gr. ix.
Mucilag. gum. arab. q. s.
Divide in pilulas liv.
* Riecke, Op. cit. S. 94.
t Journal far Chirurgie, u. s. w. B. xiv. St. 2.
CALCIS CHLORIDUM. H5
Dose.—One every two or three hours in gonorrhoea, gradually
increasing the dose until eight, ten, or twelve are taken every
hour.
Graefe.
Collutorium Calcis Chloridi.
Collutory of Chloride of Lime.
R Calcis chlorid. grs. xv. ad 3ss.
Mucil. gum. arab. ?j.
Syrup, cort. aurant. 5ss. M.
A little of this solution to be applied by means of a mop of
charpie to ulcers in the mouth. Angelot.
R. Calcis chlorid. 3 iij.
Aquae destillat.
Alcohol, aa. 5ij
01. rosar. gtt. iv.
Solve et filtra.
Chevallier.
A tea-spoonful of this solution is mixed with a glass of water,
and used in fcetor oris. According to Riecke,* an analogous nos-
trum has been sold at a high price under the name—Pneumoka-
tharterion.
R. Calcis chlorid. 3j.
Solve leniter terendo in
Aquae distillat. ffevi.
Tunc adde
Alcohol, puriss. (.830) pond. spec. Sviij.
Mist, reponatur in loco frigido per horas xxiv; tunc filtretur et reserv.
in lagena bene obturata. (" Let the mixture be put aside in a cold place
for twenty-four hours; then let it be filtered and kept in a well stopped
vessel.")
It has been recommended that the mouth should be rinsed
with this after the teeth have been brushed.
Freybero von Kluge.
* Op. cit. S. 94.
116
CALCIS CHLORIDUM.
The Pharmacopoeia of Sweden has an antiscorbutic collutory,
called Linctus ad stomacacen seu oxymuriatis calcici, which is
formed as follows:
R. Solut. calcis chlorid. 3ss.
Aqua? fontan.
Mellis, aa. 3vj. M.
R. Calcis chlorid. 5ss.
Solve exactiss. trituratione in
Aq. fontan. ±ij.
Et post limpid, clarificat. admisce
Alcoholis, 5ij.
01. rosar. gtt. iv. M.
The mouth is rinsed in cases of salivation with a mixture made
by adding a tea-spoonful of the solution to a glass of water.
Trusen.
Dentifricium Calcis Chloridi.
Dentifrice of Chloride of 'Lime.
R. Calcis chlorid. in pulv. gr. iv.
Corallinae rubra?. 3ij. M.
A new tooth-brush should be slightly wetted and dipped in this
powder, and rubbed over the teeth. Employed to give their
natural colour to teeth. Magendie.
Solutio Calcis Chloridi.
Solution of Chloride of Lime.
R. Calcis chlorid. 3hj.
Solve in
Aquae distill, fly.
Adde
Tinct. opii crocat.
vel Vini opii, Jj ad 3ij. M.
Applied to frost-bites.
Trusen.
CALCIS CHLORIDUM. 117
R. Calcis chlorid. 5ss.
Tere invicem et sensimaffunde
Aq. font, (seu rosar.) ffoj.
Et post clarificat limpid, admisce
Mucil. gum. arab. (seu sem. cydon.) ?ij.
Trusen.
Applied by means of linen rags in cases of burns.
R. Calcis chlorid. 3ij- ad Jiij.
Aquae, ffoi. Solve.
To be applied by means of rags kept constantly wet, in cases
of hospital gangrene; the mixture being shaken.
Rust and Kluge.
R. Calcis chloridi, 2iij.
Aquae destillat. Jfoj.
Solve et cola.
Used as a lotion in cases of Itch, on the thighs, legs, and arms,
twice or thrice daily. In general, six or eight days are sufficient
to effect a cure. Magendie.
The disinfecting liquor of Labarraque, Liqueur desinfectante
de Labarraque, is made by adding ten parts of water, to one part
of the chloride of lime divided in a mortar; suffering the solution
to settle, and then filtering.
Collyrium Calcis Chloridi.
Collyrium of Chloride of Lime.
R. Calcis chlorid. gr. iv. ad vj.
Laudan. liquid. Sydenham. 9ss.
Mucilag. gum. arab. 3iss.
Aq. rosar. iij. M. et filtra.
To be dropped in the eye in cases of catarrhal and scrofulous
ophthalmia.
Farvagnie.
11
118
CALCIS CHLORIDUM.
Cataplasma Calcis Chloridi.
Cataplasm of Chloride of Lime.
R. Calcis chlorid.
Sodas muriat. aa. ±ss.
Aquae destill. fhss.
Farinae sera. lin. q. s. utfiat cataplasma.
Used in cases of scrofulous swelling of the joints. Graefe.
Unguentum Calcis Chloridi.
Ointment of Chloride of Lime.
R. Calcis chlorid. 5J-
Adipis, ±j. M. fiat unguentum.
To be rubbed in, in cases of scrofulous swellings. Cima.
R. Calcis chlorid. 3ss.
Adipis, ij. M. F. unguent.
Used in goitre. Werneck.
R. Adipis, gj.
Boracis venet.
Calcis chlorid. aa. 3j. M. exactissime.
In cases of chilblains.
R. Flor. sulphuris, iiss.
Calcis chlorid. bene, tritur. iij.
Adipis, gx. M.
Trusen.
Hospital.
In itch, morning and evening.
Linimentum Calcis Chloridum.
Liniment of Chloride of Lime.
R. Calcis chlorid. 3ss.
Tere in mortario vitreo et sensim affunde
Aq. rosar. (seu fontanae,) ij.
Et post, limpid, clarificat admisce
01. amygd. dulc. ij.
To be applied by means of a pencil in cases of tinea capitis.
Trusen.
CALENDULA OFFICINALIS.
119
CALENDULA OFFICINALIS.
Synonymes. Calendula Sativa, Caltha Sativa, Verrucaria, Chrysanthemum,
Sponsa Solis, Single Marigold, Garden Marigold.
French. Souci, S. Ordinaire.
German. Ringelblume.
This plant belongs to the family Synantherese, and in the Lin-
neean system to Syngenesia necessaria. It is much cultivated in
the gardens of southern Europe more especially, and grows wild
there. The whole plant has a feeble aromatic smell, which is not,
however, unpleasant. The taste is bitter and somewhat pungent.
It was examined chemically by Geiger and Stoltze,* who found
in it a peculiar glutinous matter, readily soluble in spirit of wine;
insoluble in ether, and in ethereal or volatile oils, and but little
soluble in water; to this they gave the name calenduline.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
The term officinalis indicates, that the calendula was formerly
received into the lists of the Materia Medica as an " officinal;"
but it had become entirely obsolete when Westring,f a Swedish
physician, in 1817, recalled attention to it. He recommended it
particularly in cases of cancer of the breast and uterus having no-
ticed its good effects by accident. Visiting an aged female, who
had suffered, for a long time, under an extremely painful indura-
tion of one mamma, he found she was able to allay the burning
pain by the application of the fresh plant.
This induced him to try it in several cases of cancer, and from
the results he was led to infer, that it is perhaps the best agent
that can be employed in that frightful malady. He never, how-
ever, employed the calendula alone, but associated with it other
active remedies, so that but little attention was paid to his recom-
mendation;—a great portion of the efficacy of the agents em-
ployed, being—it was thought probable—ascribable to the asso-
ciated articles.
Some time after Westring's publication, the remedy was used
* Berlin. Jahrb. d. Pharmac. B. xxi. S. 282.
f Erfahrung uber die Heilung der Krebsgeschwiire, u. s. w. Translated
from the Swedish into German by K. Sprengel. Hal. 1817.
120
CALENDULA OFFICINALIS.
by others, and his observations were confirmed. Rudolph* em-
ployed it with advantage internally, in a case of induration of the
mammce in a young female; but the acetate of iron was at the
same time applied externally in solution. Fehrf found it highly
useful not only in incipient, but in advanced scirrhus. Stein
praises it in cancer of the integuments (hautkrebs.) He forms
the expressed juice of the young plant and flowers into an oint-
ment with fresh butter, and applies it once or twice a day by-
means of lint, having previously washed the ulcers with a decoc-
tion of the plant. Internally, the calendula is prescribed in the
form of decoction, made with milk or water, or of a mellago pre-
pared from the fresh juice, dissolved in an aromatic water; or
made into pills. When the salve is applied, a sense of burn-
ing arises, which speedily becomes absolute pain. This soon,
however, abates; and almost wholly disappears:—if too violent,
more butter may be added; the ichorous discharge becomes im-
proved; the offensive odour corrected, and in from fourteen to
twenty-one days, the ulcer is converted into one of a benign and
readily cicatrisable character.
Rust also frequently administered the extractum calendula? in
cancerous ulcers and as a discutient in chronic indurations, in
combination, however, with other efficacious agents. Schneider
affirms, that he prescribed the extract of calendula with the best
effects in induration of the stomach, and in tumefaction and
decided induration of the glands and uterus. A decoction of
the flowers and plant, he employed in cancer of the uterus, and
found it an excellent soothing, and discutient agent. Muhrbecki
used the extract with eminent success in chronic vomiting; Car-
ter§ in extremely obstinate vomiting; and De Camp in a case of
cardialgia, where the excitability of the stomach was so great,
that every remedial agent was rejected before it had opportunity
to act. Fehr also extols it as an emmenagogue, for which pro-
perty it was celebrated with the older physicians.
As Riecke|| has remarked, the amount of experience with the
calendula is yet small—too small for us to pronounce whether it
merits a fixed place in the lists of the materia medica.
* Hufeland und Osann's Jour, der prakt. Heilk. B. Iviii. St. 1. S. 119.
f Verhandlungen der verein. arztlich. Gesellschaft. der Schweiz. Jahrg.
1831, and Dierbach, in Heidelberger Annalen, B. x. H. 4. S. 501 Heidel-
berg, 1834.
X Huf'eland's Journal der prakt. Heilk. B. lxii. St. 5, S. 123. .Rust's
Magazin. der gesammt. Heilk. B. xi. S. 350.
§ London Med. Rep. April, 1826, p. 347. See, also, Link and Osann, in
art. Calendula in Encyc. Worterb. u. s. w. B. vi. S. 520 Berl 1831
|| Op. cit. S. 101.
CALENDULA OFFICINALIS.
121
METHOD OF ADMINISTERING.
The extractum calendulas is contained in the Hannoverian
and Saxon Pharmacopoeias; in the latter it is directed to be pre-
pared in the following manner:
Take of the calendula officinalis, 1 part.
Water, 8 parts.
Macerate for twenty-four hours; then boil for a quarter of an
hour, and strain forcibly; boil the remainder with four parts of
water; mix the two liquors, and, after twenty-four hours' rest,
evaporate to the proper consistence.*
The dose of the extract is different according to different obser-
vers. Muhrbeck gave four grains, five times a day. Fehr allows,
jij. to 5vj* Phobus directs the dose of the extract, prepared
according to the Prussian Pharmacopoeia, to be eight to sixteen
grains, gradually increasing it to 3ss. and more, from two to four
times a day. It may be given either in the form of pill or mix-
ture. Externally, the extract is used in solution, to moisten the
dressings of ulcers, and to form ointments.
The dose of the decoction of the fresh plant is jg. to ^ij.
The Sardinian Pharmacopoeia has a conserva florum calen-
dula, made by beating together- one part of the flowers and two
parts of powdered sugar. It has, also, an acetum florum calen-
dula, made of one part of the petals digested in four parts of
vinegar; and the Wirtemberg Pbarmacopoeia has an unguentum
florum calendula, made of four ounces of the petals boiled in a
pound of fresh butter, until the mixture is entirely evaporated.
This is used as an emollient and resolvent.
Pilula Calendula.
Pills of Calendula.
R. Ferri oxydat. fuse.
Herb, calend. pulv.
Extract, calend. aa. 5j-
Mucilag. gum. arab. q. s. ut fiant pilulae xc.
Dose.—Five to eight, three times a day, as a soothing agent
in cancerous ulcers. Rust.
* Pharmacopee Universelle, &c. par Jourdan, ii. 536.
11*
122 CARBO ANIMALIS.
EL Hydrarg. submuriat. 9ss.
Sulphur, aur. antim. 9j.
Extr. calendul.
----conii macul. aa. 9ij. M. f. pil. pond. gr. ij.
Dose._Five pills, three times a day, as a discutient in chronic
indurations. Rust.
Lotio Extracti Calendula.
Lotion of the Extract of Calendula.
R. Extract, calend.
■------cham. vulg. aa. 3ij<
Solve in Aq. lauroceras. gij«
Adde
Tinct. opii simpl. 3j •
As a wash (Verbandwasser) in cancerous ulcerations. Rust.
It is obvious that the precise agency of the calendula cannot
be tested in any of these formulas, the substances associated with
it being themselves active agents. In this country, we do not
believe it is ever used.
CARBO ANIMALIS.
Synonymes.—Carbo Carnis, Animal Charcoal.
French.—Charbon animal.
German.—Thierische Kohle; Fleischkohle, Thierkohle.
Animal charcoal is an ancient remedy, which has been revived
amongst us. The older physicians used several kinds, and re-
commended them in various diseases, but without having any
fixed principle; the circumstances, indeed, that suggested their
exhibition in many cases, are entirely unintelligible to us of the
present day. In the old Wirtemberg' Pharmacopoeia, we find the
Erinaceus combustus, or "burnt hedgehog," as an antihydropic;
the Sericum tostum, or " burnt silk," and the Hirundines com-
busta, or " burnt swallows," as antiepileptics; the Lepus. combus-
tus, or "burnt hare," as an antilithic; the Reguli usti, or " burnt
CARBO ANIMALIS.
123
wrens," advised in nephritis and in calculous affections; and the
Talpa combusta, or " burnt moles," at one time much extolled in
erratic gout, lepra, scrofula, ulcers and fistulas! All have pro-
perly fallen, however, into oblivion with the profession, although
there may yet be some, who cling with pertinacity to these relics
of ancient ignorance and superstition. The cancer remedy
of Cosme, into the composition of which burnt shoe soles entered,
appears to have kept up the employment of animal charcoal; as
well as the " burnt sponge," Spongia usta, in which, however,
the charcoal is of but little efficacy compared with the iodine it
contains. These were perhaps the only forms in which animal
charcoal was used at the time when Weise, a German physician,
revived its employment; and many physicians soon came for-
ward to attest favourably in regard to it.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
Weise gives the following method of preparing it. Cut ribs of
veal, with the flesh attached, into small pieces, and put them in a
drum for roasting coffee,—turning the drum constantly whilst it
is placed over the fire. When inflammable air begins to pass off,
which is distinguished by the flame playing around the drum, the
combustion must still be kept up a quarter of an hour longer. If
it be continued so long as any inflammable air is disengaged, the
preparation is inefficacious. The substance, most commonly met
with under the name of animal charcoal, is obtained by burning
bones. The residue, when reduced to powder, is the well known
substance bone black or ivory black.* This generally contains
more or less phosphate of lime according to the kind of bone from
which it has been procured. This is directed in the London Phar-
macopoeia to be purified by digestion in dilute hydrochloric acid
as follows: " Take of animal charcoal, a pound; hydrochloric acid
and water, each twelve fluid ounces. Mix the hydrochloric acid
with the water, and gradually pour it upon the charcoal; then di-
gest for two days in a gentle heat, occasionally agitating. Set
aside, and pour off the supernatant liquor; then wash the char-
coal with repeated portions of water, till no traces of acid are
perceptible; lastly, dry it."f Charcoal, prepared in this way,
should be a combination of carbon, carbonate and phosphate of
lime, hydrogen, and azote. From an analysis, which Meurer
made of animal charcoal, prepared according to Weise's for-
mula, it contains also muriate and a little carbonate of soda, as
well as a portion of iron.
* See Art. Carbo Animal is, by Dr. F. Bache, in Wood and Bache's Dispen-
atory, 4th edit. p. 165. Philad. 1839.
f Brande, Dictionary of Materia Medica, p. 151. London, 1839.
124
CARBO ANIMALIS.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
In the case of a young man of scrofulous diathesis, Weise saw
a tumour, of the size of a hazelnut, and very painful, situate
under the nipple, disappear under the use of animal charcoal.
According to him, its efficacy is strongly exerted on the uterus
and mammas. Rothamel and Hohnbaum extol it in dyspepsia
and gastricism, as well as in cases of diarrhaa. In obstinate
chronic glandular indurations, especially of the mammary glands,
Weise affirms it to be a certain remedy; he, at the same time,
however, considers a regulated diet to be indispensable. Scirrhus
of the lips, he says, also disappears under its use, and even
scirrhous goitre when the charcoal is associated with burnt sponge.
On cartilaginous polypi, it is said to have exerted a beneficial
agency, and to have diminished the tendency of mucous polypi to
return after operation. Even open cancer, it is asserted, has been
healed by it.* On these recommendations of Weise, animal
charcoal has been used by several German physicians, especially
by Wagner, Kopp, Pitschaft, Radius, Rothamel, Hesselbach,
Gumper, Hohnbaum, Fricke, Michaelsen, and Siebenhaar; and
as a general result of their observations it would seem not to be
devoid of therapeutical agency; all hough many of the experi-
menters failed in noticing any sanative effect from it. Fricke,
for example, did not observe the least benefit in the very cases
mentioned by Weise. He gave it also in the way of experiment,
in several other cases, but without detecting the slightest influence
on the organism. Other physicians saw advantages from its use
in open cancer, but these were only transient. On the other
hand, the experience of Wagner, Kopp, Michaelsen, and Rotha-
mel would seem to show, that it was effectual in removing; inci-
pient scirrhus of the mamma. Kopp employed it successfully in
scirrhous goitre, and Pitschaft in a case of what he terms struma
varicosa. Radius dispersed under its use a considerable swelling
of the submaxillary glands. In scrofulous affections, especially in
scrofulous indurations of the glands, it proved useful in the hands
of Kopp, Rothamel and Speranza. Pitschaft, in a delicate, stru-
mous woman, who was suffering constantly under ozana, found
it of eminent service after other remedies had failed. Radius
thought it aided the absorption of a disintegrated cataract, and
Siebenhaar saw good effects from it in induration of the pan-
creas.
Rieckef suggests, that farther trials might show that it might
be used in the place of iodine, which it appears to resemble in its
action on the economy, whilst it affects the organism less in-
juriously. It is extremely doubtful, however, whether the proper-
*" Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimittel, u. s. w. S. 104.
t Op. cit.
CARBO ANAMALIS.
125
ties of the two substances can be regarded as at all analogous,
and whether the animal charcoal is possessed of any other properties
than those usually ascribed to the prepared charcoal.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The carbo anamalis is given in doses of from half a grain to
three grains twice a day, commonly in the form of powder with
sugar, or with powdered liquorice root. Weise advises it to be
sprinkled on the hard edges of cancerous ulcers, and Speranza
extols an ointment made of charcoal and oil or simple cerate as
a discutient in scrofulous swellings.
Pulvis Carbonis Animalis.
Powder of Animal Charcoal.
R. Carbon, animal, gr. ij.
Pulv. rad. glycyrr. gr. v.
F. pulvis.
A powder to be given morning and evening.
R.~ Carbon, animal, gr. vi.
Spong. marin. ust. gr. xij.
Pulv. rad. glycyrrhiz. 3ss.
M. F. pulv. in partes vi aequales dividendus.
A powder to be taken night and morning in scirrhous goitre.
Riecke.
R. Pulv. carbonis animal, gr. iv.
Pulv. rad. glycyrrh. 9iv. M. et divide in part. viij.
One of these to be taken dry, morning and evening, a little
water being drunk afterwards, in cases of scirrhous indurations
of the mamma3. After the eight powders have been taken, the
dose may be increased gradually by half a grain, until it ulti-
mately attains four grains. At the same time, abirritating and
spare diet should be inculcated.
Boli Carbonis Animalis.
Boluses of Animal Charcoal.
R. Pulv. carbon, animal, gr. iij.
Ammon. muriat. pulv. 9j.
Ext. conii macul. gr. ij.
----glycyrrhiz. q. s. ut fiat bolus.
One of these to be given three times a day;—in cases of swell-
ing and scirrhus of the prostate, and of the mucous membrane of
the urethra. Magendie.
126
CARBONIS SESQUI-IODIDUM.
CARBONIS SESQUI-IODIDUM.
Synonymes. Carbonis Sesqui-ioduretum, Sesqui-iodide or Sesqui-ioduret of
Carbon.
This preparation is made by mixing concentrated alcoholic so-
lutions of iodine and potassa until the former loses its colour. A
solution is obtained, from which the addition of water will throw
down a yellow precipitate—the sesqui-iodide of carbon.
This substance is soluble in alcohol and ether, but insoluble in
water. The ethereal solution yields large yellow crystals by slow
evaporation. It has a sweet taste, and a strong saffron-like
odour. Mitscherlich* considers the taste very disagreeable.
Fifty grains given by Dr. Cogswell^ to a strongly made terrier
dog, proved fatal; and, on dissection, the large vessels were found
congested; the inner membrane was closely corrugated, and the
apices of the rugge were of a rose red colour.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
Dr. LitchfieldJ used it with advantage in five cases of enlarged
glands; in two of lepra, and three of porrigo, in the form of oint-
ment composed of 5ss of the powder to 3yj of simple cerate.
CETRARINA.
Synonymes. Cetrarine, Cetrarin.
French.—Cetrarin.
This substance has been extracted, of late, from the lichen
islandicus or cetraria islandica, by M. Herberger, a pharmacien
at Kaiserslautern.§
* Traite de Chimie, traduit par Valerius.
t Essay on Iodine, p. 122. Edinb. 1837.
X Lond. Med. Gaz. Aug. 1836.
j Buchner's Repertorium, B. viii. H. 1. 1837.
CETRARINA.
127
METHOD OF PREPARING.
The coarse powder of the lichen is boiled for half an hour in
four times its weight of alcohol at .883; it is left at rest until va-
pours cease to be given off, to avoid the loss of the alcohol; it is
then strained and pressed. Three drams of hydrochloric acid pre-
viously diluted with water are now added to each pound of the
lichen; this is mixed with from four times and a quarter to four
times and a half its bulk of water, and the mixture is left at rest
for a night in a closed flask. The next day, the deep yellow fluid,
which swims above the copious deposite obtained, is poured off:
this deposite is the impure cetrarin, the colour of which is more
or less greenish. It is now collected on a filter {chausse,) left to
drain as little as possible and subjected to pressure. To purify it,
it must be divided into small fragments, and washed whilst still
moist with alcohol or ether, which deprives it of colour; it is then
treated with two hundred times its weight of boiling alcohol, in
that the inorganic matter, which has hitherto accompanied it,
is scarcely soluble. The greater part of the cetrarin is gradually
precipitated on the cooling of the alcoholic solution. The portion
which still remains in solution, may be separated by the evapora-
tion of the alcohol.
Pure cetrarin is at times in the state of a white powder, resem-
bling magnesia; at others in small globules united in the form of
arborisations, which do not present—even under the microscope
—any crystalline texture. When gently compressed, it has a
slight silky splendour. It is light, unalterable in the air, inodorous,
and has a very intense bitter taste, especially in the alcoholic so-
lution. Its best solvent is absolute alcohol, one hundred parts dis-
solving 1.70 of it at the boiling temperature, but only 0.28 at 14°
centig. (58° Fahr.) Alcohol, at 0.830 dissolves 0.44 when boiling,
0.28 at 25° cent. (77° Fahr.) and only 0.04 at 14° cent. (58°
Fahr.) It is still less soluble in boiling and in cold water, the
essential oils, creasote, &c. It is somewhat more soluble in ether,
but insoluble in the fixed oils.*
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
Miiller, a physician of Kaiserslautern,f details two cases in
which he has administered the cetrarin. One of these was a
quartan, the other a tertian intermittent. The effects appeared
* Journal de Pharmacie, xxiii, 505, Paris, 1837, and Bulletin G£n£ral de
Th£rapeutique, No. 18, Sep. 30,1837.
t H. Bruck, in Bulletin G£n£ral de Th^rapeutique, No. 17, Sep. 15,1837.
128
CHIMAPHILA.
to be exerted more slowly than those of quinine, but it seemed to
him not to affect the stomach as much.[?] Its price must be
considerably less, as M Herberger succeeded in obtaining from a
pound of lichen 135 grains of very pure cetrarin.
It has not been given, so far as we know, in this country.
METHOD OF ADMINISTERING.
Muller gave it in the form of powder according to the follow-
ing prescription:—
R. Cetrarin.
Gummi arabic. aa. gr. ij.
Sacchar. alb. 9ss. M. et fiat pulvis.
Dose.—One of these every two hours during the apyrexia.
H. Bruck,* suggests, that if dissolved in spirit of wine, its action
may be incomparably more potent, and that it may more speedily
arrest the paroxysms of an intermittent than when given in
powder.
CHIMAPHILA (FOLIA.)
Synonymes. Chimaphilse vel Chimophilse Umbellatse Folia; Pyrolse Urn-
bellaUe Folia, Winter Green, Pipsissewa.
French.—Herbe a pisser, Pyrole en Ombelle.
German.—Die Blatter des holdenbliihtigen Wintergruns.
This plant is not new to us; but numerous trials have been
made with it recently in Europe. It is admitted into the Pharma-
copoeia of the United States, is a beautiful evergreen, and is indi-
genous in the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and America. It
belongs to the natural family of heaths, Ericese; and in the Lin-
naean System, to Decandria Monogynia. A good description of
it is given by Barton.f
* Op. cit.
t Medical Botany, i, 17; see, also, Art. Chimaphila, in Wood & Bache'a
Dispensatory, 4th edit. p. 197. Phila. 1839.
CHIMAPHILA.
129
The leaves have a bitter sweetish taste, with some degree of
astringency. The taste of the stems and roots is, in addition, con-
siderably pungent. Boiling water and alcohol extract the virtues
of the plant. The constituents, so far as ascertained, are bitter
extractive, tannin, resin, gum, lignin and saline matters.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
The leaves of the Chimaphila were long used by the Indians of
this continent, and from them the American physician wasinduced
to employ them. The first regular treatise respecting the plant
is said to have been a thesis of Dr. Mitchell, published in the year
1803.* In Canada it is said to have been long used in diseases of
the urinary passages, especially in calculous dropsy, and in chronic
gout and rheumatism; its effects appearing to resemble—but not
to exceed—those of the uva ursi. Somervillef and Barton extol
it as an excellent diuretic in different forms of dysuria, and in
dropsies, especially such as succeed to acute diseases; in nephral-
gia as a palliative, especially when the paroxysms are occasioned
by gravel which has accumulated in the kidney; and even in
cesical calculus. During its use the appetite improved, and the
digestive powers augmented; the patients often experiencing—
immediately after it was taken—an agreeable sensation in the
stomach, and in the region of the kidneys.
RadiusJ found it especially serviceable in dropsy,gout and rheu-
matism; and in inordinate activity of the secretory function of the
mucous membranes—chronic catarrh, phthisispituitosa, &c. Ac-
cording to him, it is contraindicated where there is much fever,
disposition to diarrhoea, gastricism, and great debility of the sto-
mach. Heyfelder affirms, that the chimaphila appears to be ad-
vantageous in the debility of the digestive organs attendant upon
dropsy, but its diuretic effect is not considerable or enduring, so
that it requires to be associated with other more powerful agents.
Experiments, which have been made recently in the Biirgerhos-
pital at Pesth, and which have been collected by St. Rochus and
published by Windisch, the director of the hospital, are extremely
favourable to the chimaphila. Within two years, nearly two hun-
dred dropsical cases are said to have been radically cured by it.
Windisch recommends it most strongly to the attention of his col-
leagues; he asserts it to be one of the best diuretics we possess;
that it does not impair digestion; moderately accelerates the circu-
lation; gently encourages the action of the bowels, and powerfully
* Barton's Collection, ii, 2.
f Medico-chirurgical Transactions, v, 340.
X Auserlesene Heilfbrmeln zum Gebrauche far praktische Aerzte und Wun-
darztc, u. s. w. Leipz. ISoG.
12
130
CHIMAPHILA.
augments the urinary secretion; that the patients willingly take it,
and that it induces no nausea. It was administered with advan-
tage in dropsies unaccompanied by fever, and not dependent upon
organic mischief, upon " corruption of the humours or paralysis
of "the lymphatic textures." In febrile conditions and inflamma-
tory diatheses, it is said to have been always injurious, as well as
when it was administered prior to the resolution of obstructions
remaining after long protracted intermittents; but when these are
removed, and no excitement exists, more, according to Windisch,
is to be expected from it than from any other agent, and he strongly
advises, that careful trials should be made with it in the proper
cases. He advises, also, that its use should be persevered in, in
order that, good effects may be derived from it.
We have frequently administered the chimaphila in public and
private practice, and have found it serviceable, where a tonico-
diuretic was indicated.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The chimaphila is given either in infusion, or, what is prefera-
ble, in decoction; the dose in the day being from half an ounce to
an ounce. Where it does not act sufficiently on the bowels,
Radius advises, that a few senna leaves should be added. In af-
fections of the chest, he found the addition of the sweet spirit of
nitre advantageous. Generally, however he gave the chimaphila
alone. Windisch found a combination of it with tartar emetic,
liver of sulphur, sal ammoniac, squill, and, in very great weak-
ness, cinchona and preparations of iron, serviceable. Radius
often administered also the aqueous or spirituous extract.
Decoctum Chimaphila.
Decoction of Chimaphila.
R. Chimaphil. umbellat. ta.
Macera per horas xij. in aquae font, ffjij. (fijiss Ph. Lond.)
Coque ad colatur. fj^j.
To be used daily in dropsy. Somerville.
Dr. Joy* adds to this two drams of the Liquor Potassae car-
bonatis, and directs four table-spoonfuls of the mixture to be taken
three times a day. He recommends it " in dropsy and chronic
affections of the urinary organs," as if all these affections were
identical pathological conditions!
* Twecdie's Library of Medicine, v. 312. London, 1840.
chlorinum. 131
R. Chimaphil. umbellat. ^ss ad ^j.
Coque cum aquae font, ^xij, ad reman. |vj.
Coctione finita. adde
Spiritus frumenti. (gin, malt spirit or whisky) gij.
Digere frigide per horas vj, et cola.
Dose—Two spoonfuls to be taken four times a day in dropsy
and gout. Radius.
R. Chimaphil. umbellat. 5vj-
Coque cum aq. font, ^xij ad reman, ^vj.
Sub finem coctionis adde
Fol. sennae 3ij» et cola.
Dose—A spoonful to be taken every two hours. Radius.
CHLORINUM.
Synonymes. Chlorinium, Chlorum, Chlorine, Murigene, Acidum Muriati-
cum Oxygenatum, Acidum Marinum Dephlogisticatum, Spiritus Salis Marini
Dephlogisticatus.
French.—Chlore.
German.—Chlor, Chlorgas.
Uncombined chlorine is employed medicinally not only in the
gaseous but liquid state. Of each of these we shall treat in suc-
cession.
The forms for evolving it in the gaseous state, as well as the
gaseous chlorine itself, have had various names assigned them ex-
pressive of their chemical or medical properties. They have been
termed, respectively, Acidum muriaticum oxygenatum ad con-
tagia; Fumigatio muriatico-oxygenata; Pulvis ad fumigationes
muriaticus; Species pro vaporibus superoxydi muriatici; Suf
fitus oxymuriaticus; S. chlorini; Alexiterium Chloricum, Fumi-
gation de Chlor, F. de Guyton, F. Guytonienne, F. Hygieni-
que, &c.
mode of preparing.
Chlorine is obtained from muriatic or hydrochloric acid. For
this purpose, one part of well pulverised peroxide of manganese
with five or six parts of concentrated muriatic acid is put into a
retort, to which heat is applied and the gas received over water.
132
CHLORINUM.
Or, it may be obtained from a mixture of one part of manganese,
four parts of kitchen salt, two parts of concentrated sulphuric acid,
and four parts of water.
Chlorine is a greenish yellow gas; of a peculiar, strong, disa-
greeable, stifling odour. The flame of a lighted taper introduced
into it becomes at first pale, afterwards red, and is ultimately ex-
tinguished. It remains unchanged in the highest temperatures.
It has a great affinity for hydrogen, so that it abstracts this gas
from every substance that contains it, and forms with it muriatic
acid. Hence it decomposes all the gases that contain hydrogen,
and all organic colouring matters, as well as—it is conceived by
many—miasmata and contagious matters.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
Chlorine, when diluted, and received into the lungs, occasions
coughing, and symptoms of suffocation, to which a protracted
catarrh often succeeds; not unfrequently, too, we observe in
those, who are compelled to be exposed to the gas, bronchitis,
and pneumonia. Animals soon die when they are immersed
in it.*
In Mr. Broughton's experiments, mice exposed to it fell dead
in less than' thirty seconds. On opening them, the heart was
found palpitating; the peristaltic motion of the intestinal canal
continued, and could be- kept up by irritating it with a probe.
The vessels of the brain were collapsed. The lungs were tinged
with the yellow colour of the gas, and the peculiar odour of chlo-
rine was perceptible throughout their structure. Coagulation of
the blood took place as under ordinary circumstances. A rabbit,
two or three weeks old, was immersed in chlorine, and died in
less than half a minute. On opening the thorax, the heart was
found acting freely, and on puncturing the aorta, the blood jetted
out forcibly to a considerable distance. The peristaltic motion
of the bowels was also going on. The vessels of the brain were
in a collapsed state. The lungs were very much distended,
tinged yellow, and when removed from the chest to a distance,
emitted the odour of chlorine. The right ventricle of the heart
was distended with dark blood. The eyes were much glazed in
each experiment. " It has been generally thought," adds Mr.
Broughton, " that chlorine is incapable of passing the epiglottis "
(the glottis,) " but from the above observations it is evident that
this gas enters the bronchial tubes in the act of inspiration. A
portion of it probably circulates through the brain, suspending the
* See Christison on Poisons, 3d edit. p. 736. Edinb. 1836.
CHLORINUM.
133
cerebral functions without directly destroying the action of the
involuntary organs,—contractility remaining long after the de-
struction of animal life, as is evinced by the activity of the heart
and of the intestinal canal."*
These very facts, however, seem to show, that but little of the
gas enters the lungs; probably no more than what passes imme-
diately preceding the closure of the glottis by the forcible con-
traction of the arytenoidei muscles. When inhaled in a dilute
state, it is absorbed, and, according to Mr. Wallace, the urine
acquires bleaching properties. It would appear, also, that, in
manufactories, the chief consequences, resulting from exposure to
an atmosphere of chlorine, are acidity and other stomach com-
plaints, which the men generally remove by taking chalk :f this
fact is confirmatory of the view, that acidity of the stomach is
usually, if not always, dependent upon excess in the secretion of
the gastric acids, the most important of which is the hydrochloric.
Where chlorine is inhaled, it is reasonable to suppose that more
of the hydrochloric acid may be secreted in the stomach.
METHOD OF EMPLOYING.
1. By inhalation.—In the way of inhalation, chlorine gas is
never administered in a state of purity, but always diluted with
atmospheric air; often, too, it is united with watery vapour.
Gannal affirms that the workmen in a bleaching establishment;
who suffered under diseases of the chest, were visibly improved,
and ascribed the amelioration to the inhalation of air containing
chlorine. Pie, therefore, instituted various experiments on con-
sumptive individuals, from which good results, he conceived, fol-
lowed. Sir James MurrayJ also mentions that a friend of his
had observed similar effects among his workmen exposed to
the inhalation of watery vapour strongly impregnated with
chlorine.
The experiments, however, which were instituted at La Charite,
in Paris, on this mode of treating phthisis, were by no means en-
couraging; and the same may be said of those at the Hotel Dieu
of that citv, instituted by Rullier.§
In many cases, indeed, the disease appeared to be aggravated.
Bayle likewise thought the inhalation of chlorine generally un-
* Journal of the Royal Institution, from Jan. to Juno, 1830.
f Percira, Elements of Materia Medica, pt. i. p. 107. Lond. 1839.
X A Dissertation on the Influence of Heat, &c, Lond. 1829; cited in the
Dublin Journal of Medical Science, for March 1839, p. 96.
\ See, also, Pereira, Op. cit. pt. i. p. 108. Lond. 1839.
12*
134
CHLORINUM.
favourable, although he asserts that he cured a case of tubercular
phthisis thereby. Recently, it has been again recommended by
Cottereau.
Professor Albers,* of Bonn, who administered it repeatedly,
and carefully watched its effects, conceives that it acts as a stim-
ulant when applied to the membrane, but that, when it gets into
the blood, its effects are antiphlogistic; and he is of opinion that,
when there is no haemoptysis, or violent local irritation present,
chlorine inhalations may be used in diseases of the lungs and air
passages. Its stimulant effect gradually diminishes, and, after a
time, the mucous surfaces of the lung become less sensible to its
exciting influence. In tubercles of the lung, in chronic catarrh,
in chronic inflammation and ulceration of the bronchial mucous
membrane, and in dilatation of the bronchi, he found it of no ser-
vice, and, in most cases, it could not be borne, in consequence of
the irritation it induced; but its operation was very salutary in
pure ulceration of the lungs or vomica. It had always, however,
to be administered cautiously and experimentally.
Dr. Stokes always found chlorine inhalations prejudicial in
phthisis, producing, in every case, increase of bronchial irritation,
dyspepsia, and arrest of the pulmonary secretion. In his trials of
the remedy in gangrene of the lungs,-\ he found it decidedly bene-
ficial, correcting the foetor of the breath and expectoration, and,
therefore, calculated to obviate not only the local but the consti-
tutional symptoms.
Sir James Clark J is of opinion that the inhalation of chlorine
has only produced relief in persons whose lungs have been dis-
eased to a very limited extent.
Dr. Pancoast informs the author, that a case of aphonia,
occurring in a young lady, in which there was but little volun-
tary power over the diaphragm, was cured by the inhalation of
chlorine, after the galvanic plates and the electro-magnetic appa-
ratus had been used in vain.
The chlorine may be inhaled from a common dish or inhaling
apparatus, by dropping any of the acids on a mixture of chloride
of lime, so that the acid may be disengaged slowly, but the best
method of inhaling it, as well as iodine, is that recently recom-
mended by Dr. Corrigan.§ He properly remarks that,' in order
that inhalation may have a fair trial, it is requisite, first, That the
apparatus should be simple in its construction, and'easily kept in
order. Secondly, That it should be capable of keeping up a
* Hannoversche Annalen, 1S33, and Br. and For. Rev. fur July, 1837, p.
f Dublin Hospital Reports, vol. v.
X Treatise on Tubercular Phthisis, p. 84, Lond. 1834: also, Amer. edit.
Philad. 1835.
§ Dublin Journal of Medical Science, March, 1839, p. 94.
4
CHLOR1NUM.
135
supply of vapor for any length of time, and that the evolution of
the vapour should be steady and easily regulated. Thirdly,
That it should also furnish a sufficient supply of aqueous vapour
to prevent any irritation of the larynx, or lining membrane of the
air tubes; and, fourthly, and most important of all, that its em-
ployment should entail neither trouble nor fatigue on the invalid.
To fulfil these objects, Dr. Corrigan advises the apparatus
represented in the figure beneath. It consists of a light open
iron-wire frame, about eighteen inches high, at the bottom of
which is a spirit lamp, A: at the proper height above it is an
evaporating porcelain dish, about six inches in diameter, B:
above this is a glass globe, C, with its neck downwards. In the
neck of the globe is a cork, D, bored, and through the opening is
drawn, moderately tight, a short plug of cotton wick, such as is
used in a spirit lamp: in the glass globe at E, opposite the neck,
is drilled a pin-hole, to allow air to pass in, according as the
fluid within drops out through the neck. To use it, the porcelain
dish is filled with hot water, the spirit lamp is lighted, and as
soon as the water in the dish has begun to boil, the glass globe
containing the chlorine, (if this be the substance used,) is placed
as shown in the illustration below. The rate, at which the
fluid in the globe shall percolate the cotton wick and drop into
the hot water beneath, is easily regulated. If it does not drop
with sufficient rapidity, one or two of the threads of the cotton
may be removed. If it drops too rapidly, this is corrected by
pressing in the cork more tightly, or introducing one or two addi-
tional threads of wick.
136
CHLORINUM.
In employing the chlorine, eight ounces of saturated solution of
chloride of lime may be poured into the glass globe; and into the
water of the porcelain dish, two ounces of the dilute sulphuric
acid of the pharmacopoeia. As the solution of the chloride drops,
the acid seizes on the lime, and the chlorine is evolved in con-
nexion with aqueous vapour.*
Chlorine is but little used in this form, and can only be adapted
for cases in which the pathological condition of tbe bronchial
mucous membrane, or neighbouring parts, requires the exhibition
of an excitant.f In this way, it may be occasionally serviceable
in chronic bronchitis; but its administration requires great cau-
tion.;}; In cases of poisoning by the hydrocyanic acid, as well as
by sulphuretted hydrogen, chlorine is a most efficacious agent.
The chloride of lime may be used for this purpose.
2. By Fumigation.—Fumigations of chlorine have been parti-
cularly recommended by Wallace, of Dublin.§ They appear to
resemble, in their action, the nitrous and nitro-muriatic acid baths,||
and have been especially employed in liver diseases, unaccom-
panied by inflammation, but in which there is a disturbance of the
biliary secretion. According to Wallace, fumigations of chlorine
are more certain than ablutions and baths of nitro-muriatic acid,
and they have the advantage, that their application subjects the
patient to less inconvenience. The good effects of chlorine, in
such cases, have likewise been tested by Zeise,*^| in his bathing
establishment at Altona. When the chlorine is, in this way,
brought into contact with the skin, it soon occasions a pricking
sensation; increase of transpiration; great afflux of fluids to the
surface of the body, and sometimes a pustular eruption; increased
secretion of saliva, urine, and bile; slight inflammation of the
mouth and fauces, and impeded respiration and circulation.
Wallace found chlorine fumigations serviceable not only in
hepatic diseases with disordered secretion of the liver, but in several
* Lond. Med. Gazette, April 6, 1839, p. 49.
f Toulmouche, in Revue Medicale, Avril, 1834. See, on the various modes
of inhalation, Sir C. Scudamore, in Lond. Med. Gaz. Feb. 7, 1840, and Dun-
glison's Amer. Med. Intel. April 15, 1840, p. 25.
X Archives Generates, Avril, 1834; and a communication on the ex-
cellent effects of chlorine vapour in catarrh, in Gazette Medicale de Paris,
June, 1838.
\ Researches respecting the Medical Powers of Chlorine, &c. Lond. 1822.
|| See, on the Nitro-Muriatic Mixture, as a remedial agent, Dr. J. P. Met-
tauer, Amer. Journ. Med. Sciences, Feb. 1840, p. 291. Dr. Mettauer is dis-
posed to refer the action of the compound, in every case, to the presence of
chlorine, and to believe with Dr. Scott, of India, who first introduced the
nitro-muriatic acid to notice, about twenty-three years ago (1817,) that a solu-
tion of chlorine in water will answer, in all cases, as well as the acid.
IF Nye Hygea udgived af C. Otto, 1825, and Hufeland und Osann's Journ.
der prakt. Heilkund. B. lxiii. St. 1.
CHLORINUM.
137
other morbid conditions, as hypochondriasis, cachexia, and in all
affections in which a prolonged excitation of the skin, and a resto-
ration of its suppressed or impaired functions could be esteemed
serviceable,—hence, in old cases of syphilis, scrofula, chronic ca-
tarrh, and rheumatism: generally, cathartics were combined with
the fumigations, and the evacuations were constantly observed to
present a highly bilious character.
In chronic cutaneous affections, as in lepra, psoriasis, and sca-
bies, these fumigations have been found useful; but, generally, fu-
migations of sulphurous acid are employed by preference, in con-
sequence of the greater facility with which they can be prepared.*
Injections of chlorine gas have been employed for the radical
cure of hydrocele by M. Deblois, of Tournay, and M. Deconde.-j-
The chlorine gas is contained in a bladder, to which is attached a
pipe and stopcock adapted to the canula of the trocar, into which
it is fixed after the fluid is evacuated: the stopcock is then turned,
and the bladder pressed so as to force the gas into the tunica vagi-
nalis. When this is distended, the pipe and bladder are removed,
and the thumb is placed over the mouth of the trocar, so as to
prevent the issue of the gas for the space of two minutes; it is then
ajlowed to escape, and two or three repetitions of the injection are
made, which are sufficient for the cure. It would appear, that
risk must be incurred from the injection of such an acrid substance,
but M. Deconde says not.
Fumigations of chlorine, with the view of destroying the mat-
ter of contagion, and of preventing the spread of contagious dis-
eases, have long been used. J As long ago as the year 1773, they
were proposed by Guyton de Morveau, and hence they have been
called the " Guytonian, or the " Guyton Morveau fumigations."
They are the best agents for the purpose that we possess.
In fumigating the extensive general penitentiary at Milbank,
Westminster, Dr. Faraday adopted the following method. One
part of common salt was intimately mixed with one part of the
black oxide of manganese; the mixture was placed in a shallow
earthen pan, and two parts of oil of vitriol, previously diluted with
two parts by measure of water, were poured upon it,—the whole
being stirred with a stick. Chlorine was liberated for four days.
The quantities of the ingredients employed were 700 pounds of
common salt, the same quantity of the oxide of manganese, and
1400 pounds of sulphuric acid.§
When chlorine is evolved in the manner described, it is liable,
* Green on Diseases of the skin. Dunglison's American Library edit.,
Philad. 1838.
f Bulletin Medical Belsre, Janvier. 1836.
X Link, Art. Chlor, in Encyclopad. WOrterb. der medicin. Wissenschaft B.
vii. S. 575. Berlin, 1831.
§ Pereira, Op. cit. p. 107.
138
CHLORINI AQUA.
like all the acid gases, to the objection, that it is extremely irritating
when respired. It cannot, therefore, be used in the sleeping apart-
ments of the sick, although it maybe employed beneficially after
they have been withdrawn, and the object is to disinfect the cham-
ber. It ruins all polished surfaces, but this can be effectually ob-
viated by painting them over with a compost of starch. The
chlorides are not liable to the same amount of objection, as they
exhale the chlorine slowly.*
CHLORINI AQUA.
Synonymes. Aqua Chlorinii, Liquor Chlori, Aqua Chlori, Aqua Oxymu-
riatica, Liquor Acidi Muriatici Oxygenati, Aqua Oxygenata Muriatica,
Aqua Oxygeno-Muriatica, Liquor Alexitereus Oxygenatus, Solutio Alexi-
teria Oxygenata, Solution of Chlorine, Liquid Oxymuriatic Acid.
French.—Chlore Liquide, Eau de Chlore.
German.—Chlorwasser.
This preparation is contained in many of the pharmacopoeias.
It is in those of Austria and Anvers; and in the Batavian, Bava-
rian, Belgian, Danish, Dublin, Parisian, Finnish, Hannoverian,
Polish, Prussian, and Swedish.f It has been more extensively
administered on the continent of Europe than in this country, or
in Great Britain.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
The Prussian Pharmacopoeia directs chlorine gas, made after
the manner before described, to be passed into the bottles of a
Woulfe's apparatus filled with distilled water, until two-thirds of
the water are displaced; the bottles are corked under water, and
the water is agitated until it takes up the gas. The liquid is then
drawn off into small bottles, which are well filled, and kept in a
dark place. In this way, liquid chlorine may be kept for a long
time undecomposed. In its preparation, some little muriatic acid
is formed, so that it has at times to be purified by treating it with
a solution of nitrate of silver.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN HEALTH.
From experiments made by OrfilaJ on dogs, it appears that
* See the author's General Therapeutics, p. 509. Philad. 1836.
f Pharmacop£e Universelle, i. 405. Paris, 1828.
X Toxicologic Gen6rale, i. 141.
CHLORINI AQUA.
139
considerable doses of a moderately concentrated solution of chlo-
rine prove fatal, by exciting sooner or later inflammation of the
stomach, accompanied with great languor; and when death takes
place very rapidly, signs of organic alteration are met with in the
stomach. In its action on the economy, chlorine is closely allied
to the acids, and especially to the muriatic. Introduced into the
stomach in moderate doses, the solution of chlorine excites an
agreeable feeling of warmth, which soon spreads over the whole
of the body: in strong doses, according to L. W. Sachs, a kind
of intoxicating stupor is induced by it, soon succeeded by prostra-
tion. It has been conceived to act equably as a moderate excitant
on the nervous system, and thereby to moderate inordinate action
in any part, and is, to a certain extent, antiphlogistic, without pos-
sessing any of the debilitating qualities of the antiphlogistics pro-
per. In the opinion of some of the German pathologists, it exerts
a powerful stimulation on the organic actions, especially on the
lymphatic and glandular systems, moderating inordinate secre-
tion. Its antiseptic properties are likewise considerable. It would
appear, however, that the number of observations has not been
sufficiently great—although they have been by no means few—
to allow of any comprehensive appreciation of its exact modus
operandi on the human organism.*
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
Although the solution of chlorine is properly no new remedy,
it is only of late years that it has been frequently administered. At
the present day,'in some countries, it is in common use. It is not
long since Meurer maintained, that it is impossible to administer
chlorine internally, and. that in every case in which it was
believed to have been given, the article really taken was the
hydrochloric or muriatic acid; for, owing to the affinity of chlo-
rine for hvdrogen, whenever any union takes place between it
and organic matters, the chlorine, he affirmed, disappears, and
muriatic acid alone exists, as he had proved by repeated experi-
ments. In this assertion, however, he was opposed by many
observers. Herzog and Barmann came forward with experi-
ments to show that Meurer had gone too far in his deductions;
and from all the experiments, it would appear, that in prescribing
the aqua chlorini many mistakes had been, and—we may add—
still are committed. From Barwald's experiments it would ap-
pear, that if water which has rested on aromatic or other vege-
table substances be chosen for the dilution of the aqua chlorini
instead of distilled water, a difference is produced in the rapidity
* Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimittel, u. s. w. S. 30. Stuttgart, 1837.
140
CHLORINI AQUA.
of the decomposition. In a mixture of aqua chlorini, distilled
water, and simple syrup, the decomposition takes place tardily;
but if, in place of the syrup, a mucilaginous juice be substituted
—for example, the syrupus althseae—acids are speedily formed;
as well as when a decoction of althasa is substituted for distilled
water; whereas a mixture of the decoction of salep, (gr. v to
water ^j,) syrup, and the aqua chlorini in well stopped bottles
remained undecomposed above twenty-four hours. In these
experiments, however, the persistence of the smell and taste of
the chlorine exhibited, that the whole of the chlorine had not been
converted into muriatic acid. In the same manner as in the case
of the decoction of marshmallows, the addition of the infusum
sennae and infusum Valerianae, as well as of the solutions of ex-
tracts, and especially of liquorice, destroyed the smell of the aqua
chlorini instantaneously, even when the taste of chlorine could
still be detected. When the solution was combined with reme-
dial agents, that contained much colouring matter, the decomposi-
tion took place with great rapidity. From the results of these
experiments, Barwald advises the aqua chlorini to be given in
admixture with distilled water and simple syrup, as in this way
only can we be sure, that the patient has taken the chlorine
undecomposed. Herzog' lays it down as a rule, that the solution
of chlorine should only be mixed with colourless transparent sub-
stances—water, simple syrup, gum arabic or the decoction of
salep.
In respect to its administration in disease, we shall speak first
of its internal use, which in several morbid conditions seems to
have rendered good, and in some cases eminent, service. The
following are the diseases in which it has been chiefly recom-
mended.
1. Irritative fever, as in the violent irritative fever that occurs
during the period of dentition; in which it has been administered
with great success by Kopp, Mehlhausen, Goden, Trusen, and
Riecke.* Dangerous determinations to the head have been, in
this way, obviated, along with the unpleasant complications which
are apt to_ be occasioned thereby. Toelf exhibited it in convul-
sions, during dentition, which were accompanied by too great
activity of vessels, and he affirms, that he has prescribed no remedy,
which, in all respects, answered so wrell.
2. Nervous fever, especially when tending to the putrid cha-
racter. In the plague, according to Wagner, it is of no avail;
but in putrid fever, according to Kopp, it is highly useful. Span-
genberg observed good effects from it in an epidemic typhus with
hepatic derangement. It is likewise extolled in typhus by Wolf,
* Op. cit. S. 30.
t Archiv. d. med Erfahrung, Marz und April, 1825.
CHLORINI AQUA.
141
Braun, Hufeland, and others; and by Sacco in the fever called
petechial,—itself a typhus. Of late, it has been much used in
Germany in the typhus abdominalis, which corresponds to our
typhoid fever, to oppose the origin and development of the intes-
tinal ulcerations; but when the disease is farther advanced it has
been found useless. It is especially recommended in this disease
by Clemens, but he commonly premises the use of an emetic.
Trusen considers the emetic unnecessary. He first applies leeches
to the epigastrium, and then prescribes immediately the aqua
oxymuriatica in considerable doses;—in lighter cases, a dram
every two hours; and if the disorder of the head be already great,
the tongue chapped (rissig,) and the peculiar expression of coun-
tenance present, he gives two drams every two hours. Bartels
is less satisfied with the action of chlorine in abdominal typhus.
It raises, he says, the sinking powers very speedily, but often
excites the sanguiferous system, and not unfrequently increases
the abdominal symptoms so palpably, that the physician is com-
pelled to have recourse to other agents. Riecke* thinks, how-
ever, that it may be of essential service in this disease, which so
frequently mocks, the best directed efforts of the practitioner ; and
he suggests, that farther experiments are highly desirable, espe-
cially as those instituted by Trusen and others are not free from
objections, by reason of their having combined with the chlorine
substances tbat quickly decompose it.
3. Carbunculus malignus (Milzbrandkarbunkel.)—In the va-
riety of malignant anthrax caused by handling the skins of cat-
tle, the internal and external use of chlorine has been found of
essential service by Ettmuller, Herbst, Stumpf, and Hoffmann.
4. Scarlatina.—Pfeufer, Wendt, Kopp, and Trusen extol it
highly in this disease, for which, on theoretical grounds, it would
seem to be appropriate, by reason of the great turmoil in the san-
guiferous system, as indicated by rapidity of pulse and inordinate
secretion of heat, bearing but little direct ratio to the degree of
vital energy. Braithwaite, who, it is asserted, was one of the
earliest, if not the earliest, who advised chlorine in scarlatina,
supposed that it acted as specifically as the bark in intermittent^
or mercury in syphilis; and Trusen asserts that it maybe advan-
tageously used in cases where other remedies have been found
ineffectual. It is especially recommended by Braun and Spiritus
in malignant scarlatina.
5. In other febrile exanthemata, small-pox, measles, rubeola,
&c, it has been prescribed with advantage. In putrid dysentery,
(faulige Ruhr,) it is extolled by Nysten and Kopp; and in inter
mittent, by Kopp and Kretschmar. Trusen recommends it in
the irregular, and especially in the anticipating forms, where
13
* Op. cit. S. 33.
142 CHLORINI AQUA.
there is danger of their becoming continued. Under its use he
found the paroxysms became regular, with perfect apyrexia, so
that the ordinary febrifuges could be advantageously given. In
gastric fever, Trusen trusted to it solely for the removal of the
disease: he found that it corrected the morbid secretions from the
mucous membrane of the digestive tube. Other physicians have
also derived equally favourable results from its administration in
flint ni sG3,^*G«
6. In gastromalacia, it has been prescribed by Rhades, Blasius,
and Winter, but as Riecke,* from whom this detail of the expe-
rience of the German practitioners has been chiefly taken, pro-
perly observes, farther observation is necessary before we can
decide as to its efficacy in such cases.
7. In erysipelas, especially of children, it has been recom-
mended by Kopp. .
' 8. In inflammation of the liver, favourable results were obtained
from it in the Children's Hospital of St. Petersburg; and it exhi-
bited, in these cases, the analogy to calomel in its action, which
has been pointed out by many observers.
9. In hydrophobia, it has been used both internally and exter-
nally as a preventive, especially by the Italian physicians Brera,
Previtali,f Ghisaldoni, Agliati, Arrigoni, Narcisi, and Anelli,
whose experience is in its favour. Wendelstadt and Ruppius
have likewise published favourably regarding it. It is obvious,
however, that much fallacy may arise as to the precise agency
of reputed preventives. Every one, for example, who may be
bitten by a mad dog is not attacked with hydrophobia; and, un-
less great caution be used, any article may be regarded as a
preventive. This is the main reason why we have so many
preventives of hydrophobia and other diseases.
10. Again:—the solution of chlorine has been advised by Rup-
pius and Mertzdorf in dropsy, especially such as supervenes on
the acute exanthemata.
11. In the diathesis phfliisica, it has been recommended by
Gdden, and has been affirmed to moderate the hectic in phthisis,
and to make the remissions more marked. In these cases, it re-
quires to be given in large doses, and to be exhibited for a con-
siderable time.
12. In many cases of chronic cutaneous affections, with dimi-
nished plastic energy, it has been used with success by Kopp.
13. Lastly: in noma or cancrum oris, and in faetor of the mouth,
it has been recommended internally as well as topically; and,
according to the experiments of Persoz, Nonat, and others, it
renders eminent service in cases of poisoning by the hydrocyanic
acid.
* Op. cit. S. 34.
t Pratiche Osservazioni sulP Idrofobia, &c. Milan, 1820.
CHLORINI AQUA.
143
Externally, it is used either pure, diluted with water, or in com-
bination with oil. Godier affirms that he cured strumous swell-
ings of the glands by a cerate of chlorine. Eisenmann, Cullerier,
and Blache recommend it at times pure, at others diluted, in the
way of injection, in gonorrhoea and leucorrhaea. It is employed,
also, in flabby, putrid, and offensive ulcers, in the carbunculus
malignus, in chronic cutaneous affections, as tinea capitis, itch,
(Deimann,) herpes, (Alibert,) cancrum oris, asthenic aphtha, &c.
Lastly: ablution with a solution of chlorine, or of the chlorides,
has been advised as a preventive of venereal infection. In can-
cerous ulcers, it corrects the unpleasant odour, and excites a new
action in the part; causing the secretion of a better pus: farther
than this, we cannot expect much from it. Baths of chlorine are
recommended by Wagner as an excellent means for preventing
the plague. Schonlein advises that, in scarlatina, the whole sur-
face of the body should be washed with a mixture of aqua chlorini
and water, which he prefers to ablution with cold water.
Finally:—the aqua chlorini is occasionally sprinkled in the sick
chamber to purify the atmosphere during the prevalency of con-
tagious or other diseases.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
As already remarked, whenever the aqua chlorini is prescribed,
its facility of decomposition must be borne in mind. It is, for this
reason, best to prescribe it with water only, or at most with the
addition of simple syrup, for internal administration. For external
use, water alone should be associated with it. As to the precise
mode in which chlorine is affected by fatty substances, we have
as yet no accurate knowledge; it may be calculated, however,
that a part undergoes decomposition. Such combinations have,
notwithstanding, been found very useful.
The solution should never be prescribed in quantity larger than
is necessary for twenty-four hours, as by frequently opening the
vessel in which it is contained, decomposition readily ensues.
The vessel should be put into a dark place, and be surrounded by-
black paper.
The average dose for an adult, in the twenty-four hours, may
be fixed at an ounce, although much larger doses may be given
without inconvenience. It is scarcely necessary to say that the
precise dose must vary with the degree of concentration.
Unguentum Oxygenatum ex tempore parandum.
Ointment of Chlorine.
R. Aquae cblorin. p. j.
Adipis, p. viij. M.
144 CIMICIFUGA.
Used in the itch. Pharmacopoeia of Austria.
Linimentum Aqua Chlorini.
Liniment of Chlorine.
R. Aquae chlorin. 5J-
Olei olivar. Jj. M.
Externally^ in obstinate itch, tinea capitis, and herpes.
Deimann.
R. Cerae albae, 5y.
Leni calor. liquef. adde
01. amygdal. q. s.
Ot fiat linimentum cui refrig. adde
Aq. chlorin. 3iss. M.
Used externally in cases of ulcers. Ludwig.
Gargarisma Aqua Chlorini.
Gargle of Chlorine.
R. Pulv. tragac. gr. xij.
Aquas, 5iv,
Aquae chlorin.
Syrup, aa. rss. M.
To be used as a gargle in ulceration and chronic inflammation
of the mouth and fauces. Ratier.*
CIMICIFUGA.
Synonymes. Cimicifuga Racemosa, C. Serpentaria, Acteea Racemosa, Ma-
crotrys Racemosa, Black Snakeroot, Cohosh, Bugbane, Cohort.
French.—Act.£e, Herbe Saint Christophe.
German.—Traubenformiges Christophskraut.
This plant is a native of the United States, growing in shady
and rocky woods from Canada to Florida. Sexual System —
Polyandria Di-Pentagynia; natural order, Ranunculacege. The
root is the part used in medicine. It yields its virtues to boiling
Formulaire pratique des h6pitaux civils de Paris, 3me edition. Paris,
CIMICIFUGA.
145
water, and was found by Mr. Tilghman, of Philadelphia, to con-
tain gum, starch, sugar, resin, wax, fatty matter, tannin, and gal-
lic acid, a black colouring matter, a green colouring matter, lignin,
and salts of potossa, lime, magnesia, and iron.*
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
The Cimicifuga belongs to the class of Acro-narcotics. Until
recently, it is said to have been employed chiefly in domestic prac-
tice, as a remedy in rheumatism, dropsy, hysteria, and in various
affections of the lungs, especially such as resemble consumption. It
is noticed here, however, chiefly in consequence of the encomiums,
that have been passed upon it, of late, as a remedy in chorea.
Several cases of this disease, reported; by Dr. Jesse Young to
have been cured, were published some years ago; and at the
same time it was stated, that Dr. Physick had known it prove
successful in several instances-! Dr. WoodJ also states, that
he administered it in a case of chorea, which rapidly reco-
vered under its use, after the failure of purgatives and metallic
tonics. He also remarks, that he had derived the happiest effects
from it in a case of convulsions, occurring periodically, and con-
nected with uterine disorder. Very recently, Dr. T. S. Kirk-
bride,§ of this city, has published some cases of success, obtained
in the same disease, from its administration; after free purging
had been employed. In one successful case, in a girl, nine years
old, whose mental faculties were much disordered; and who had
lost nearly all power over both her left extremities; there being
at the same time,, irregularity of the bowels, headach, and pain
frequently shooting down the left arm, cups were applied to the
back of the head and neck once; stimulating pediluvia were pre-
scribed, with friction, with salt, over the surface of the body, and
she was moderately purged every day for a week before the-
Cimicifuga was begun with. Dr. Kirkbride refers to a very in-
tractable case that fell under the care of Dr. Otto, and which
yielded ultimately to the Cimicifuga. He always purges before
he has recourse to it, and general frictions with salt or the flesh
brush, and pustulation with Croton oil over the spine, he believes
to be of much value in the chronic cases.
Dr. Beadle|| of New York treated a case successfully in a girl
eighteen years of age. There was considerable gastric derange-
ment, with suppression of the catamenia for nearly five months,
* Journal of Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, vi. 20; and Dr. Wood, in
Dispensatory of the United States, by Drs. Wood and Bache, Art. Cimicifuga.
f American Journal of the Med. Sciences, ix. 310.
\ Op. citat.
\ American Journal of the Medical Sciences, February, 1840, p. 289.
y New York Journal of Medicine and Surgery, July, 1840, p. 191.
13*
146
CIMICIFUGA.
from pregnancy. She was put upon the use of the Cimicifuga,
five grains of the powder being given every three hours, and no
other remedy except an occasional dose of sulphate of magnesia.
There was little improvement in her condition, during the day,
for nearly a week, after which she improved rapidly and was
well in three weeks. The medicine produced no sensible effect.
Allusion has been made to the employment of the Cimicifuga
in popular practice in cases of rheumatism. Like other narcotico-
acrids, when pushed, so as to produce catharsis and even slight
narcosis, it may unquestionably be of service in acute forms of the
disease.* In some parts of the country, it has become a very
popular remedy in coughs; and Dr. E. G. Wheelerf affirms, that
he has found it useful in several cases of severe and protracted
cough; and especially so in the chronic cough or bronchitis of old
people.
Dr. Wheeler states farther, that by some eminent physicians, it
has been thought to be a good substitute for the secale cornutum
in parturition, being dissimilar, however, in its mode of action,—
relaxing the parts and thereby rendering labour short and easy.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The dried root of the Cimicifuga may be given in powder.
Dr. Kirkbride administered it in the dose of a tea-spoonful; and
Dr. Wheeler in the dose of 3j from three to five times a day. It
is most commonly, however, given in the form of the
Decoctum Cimicifuga.
Decoction of Black Snake Root.
R. Rad. Cimicifugse contus. %'].
Coque paulisper in
Aqua? Oj.
Dose—One or two fluid ounces—two to four table-spoonfuls—
several times a day.
Tinctura Cimicifuga.
Tincture of Black Snake Root.
R. Rad. Cimicifug. contus. 5iv.
Alcohol (.835) Oj.
* Drs. E. A. Anderson, and Alexander Vedder, in Dunglison's American Me-
dical Intelligencer, Vol. 2, p. 296. Philadelphia, 1839. ^Ako, Boston Medical
and Surgical Journal, Oct. 2, 1839, p. 126.
f Boston Med. and Surg. Journal, Sept. 4,1839, p. 65.
CINCHONINA.
147
Dose.—Twenty drops three or four times a day. An idea pre-
vails that the stronger the alcohol the better is the preparation,
but this may be questioned.
CINCHONINA.
Synonymes. Cinchonia, Cinchoninum, Cinchonin, Cinchonine.
Although Duncan of Edinburgh, Reuss, of Moscow, and
Gomez,* of Liston, had endeavoured to separate the active prin-
ciple of the cinchonas, and had given the term cinchonine to a
resinous extract obtained in their investigations; the honour of
discovering both cinchonine and quinine and of applying them to
practical purposes belongs to the French chemists—Pelletier and
Caventou.f
Cinchonine is commonly obtained from the gray or pale varie-
ties of cinchona; the yellow furnishing the quinine, and the red
both cinchonine and quinine. It is an alkaloid strikingly anala-
gous to the quinine in its chemical and medical relations, but is
not as much used.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
Cinchonine is obtained by boiling the bark in alcohol, until it
loses all its bitterness; the' alcoholic solution is then evaporated
to dryness in a water bath; the extract, thus obtained, is dissolved
in boiling water, strongly acidulated with muriatic acid; an excess
of calcined magnesia is added, which, after a few minutes' boil-
ing, will fix all the red colouring matter, and render the liquid
clear. When cold, the liquid is filtered, and the magnesian pre-
cipitate washed with cold water; it is then dried in a stove; and
all the bitterness separated by repeated digestions in boiling alco-
hol ; the alcoholic liquors are mixed, and the cinchonine crystal-
lises as the fluid cools. The cinchonine, thus obtained, still con-
tains a green fatty matter, which may be separated by solution in
a very weak acid. If the acid be too strong, it will dissolve a
part of the fatty matter, and the intended object will be thus de-
feated.J
* Richter's Specielle Therapie, B. x. S. 325. Berlin, 1828, and Magendie's
Formulaire.
f Annalesde Chimie et de Physique, xv. 289 and 337.
X Magendie, Formulaire, &c. "
148
CINCHONINA.
Cinchonine may also be obtained by treating pulverised pale
cinchona by weak sulphuric acid, precipitating the solution by
means of lime in excess; collecting the precipitate on a filter,
washing, and treating it, after drying, with boiling alcohol.*
Cinchonine is white, translucent, crystallising in needles; re-
quiring, for its solution, 700 parts of cold water, according to
Magendie; according to others, 2500 parts of boiling water. On
account of its very sparing solubility in water it has but a slightly
bitter taste. In alcohol, it is readily soluble, and the solution is
extremely bitter, as well as the salts formed by its union with
acids, which resemble the salts of quinine. It does not dissolve
readily in fixed or volatile oils, or in ether. At a certain tem-
perature, it volatilises; -a great part, indeed, is destroyed by the
operation, yet a sensible portion escapes the decomposing power
of the caloric.
In medicine, pure cinchonine, as well as the sulphate and ace-
tate, is prescribed. The sulphate is soluble in 54 parts of water,
and in 6.5 parts of alcohol, (s. g. 0.815;) it is not soluble in ether.
It forms crystals and tastes bitter. The acetate, on the other
hand, does not crystallise; and is less soluble in water than the
sulphate; but an excess of acid facilitates the solution.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
It is not necessary to say much on the application of cinchonine
and its preparations to disease, as they have been almost wholly
superseded by the quinine and its salts. It is a weaker article, and
therefore requires to be given in larger doses; Magendie and
Gittermann assert, that it has been found ineffective as a febrifuge.
Baly,f Chomel,J Mariani,§ Wutzer,|| and others, however, have
exhibited it successfully.! Dufresne** frequently prescribed it, and
he assigns it this claim to preference, that it is almost tasteless, or
at least that the bitter taste is but tardily developed; and that it
needs not to be given in combination with acids, as the acid con-
tained in the gastric secretions will render it soluble.+t He gave
it in intermittents during the apyrexia in the quantity of from six
* Pharmacopee Universelle, i. 414. Paris 1828
f Nouv. Biblioth. Medicale, ix. 189.
X Nouv. Journ. de Mddecine, Mars, 1821.
j Osservaz.sulla Pratica del Solfato de Cinconina, &c
SeptR1827U.nd CaSPer'S Kdt" Rep6rt' B" XXi' and Bulletin des ^iences M^dic.
l4ru,CiuCh0ninTT' ?" M^''at and De Lens> Dict- de Mat. MeU
** Bibliotheque Universelle, Mai, 1831, p. 89
* Ste«StalTl8G36,2p.im.U"eli"°de"e SC'e"2e Med'Che " a*** ^
CINCHONINA,
' 149
to twenty grains, and he found it, moreover, of marked use in the
cases of gastralgia with formation of acid, which are so often met
with in young females, and are not unfrequently associated with
leucorrhoea, hypochondriasis, melancholy, &c.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING
The following formulae have been recommended, but, as was
before remarked, they are rarely used, the preparations of qui-
nine being now almost universally prescribed.
Syrupus Cinchonina.
Syrup of Cinchonine.
R. Sulphat. cinchonin. gr. xlviii.
Syrup, simpl. ftjj.
Used in the same cases as the syrupus quininse; a tablespoon*
ful for a dose. Magendie.
Vinum Cinchonina.
Wine of Cinchonine.
R. Sulphat. cinchonin. gr. xviij.
Vini Maderens. f^ip
Tinctura Cinchonina.
R. Sulphat. cinchoninse, gr. ix.
Alcohol (34° or s. g. .847.) 5j. M.
Magendie
Ma
Magendie recommends that this tincture should be used for
preparing, extemporaneously, the wine of cinchonine, by adding
two ounces of the tincture to a pint of Madeira wine.
Boli Antifebriles.*
Febrifuge Boluses.
R. Sulphat. cinchonin. gr. iij.
Micae panis,
Mellis,
Glycyrrhiz. aa. q. s. ut fiat bolus.
Dose,—one of these to be repeated every two hours.
Brera.
* Ricettario Clinico di Brera. Padov. 1825.
150
CODEINA.
Mistura Cinchonince.
Mixture of Cinchonine.
R. Sulphat. cinchonin. gr. vi ad xlviij.
Potassae acetat.
Sacchar. alb. aa. ?ss.
Solve in
Aquae chamaem. 5vj.
Dose—A table-spoonful every two hours, in intermittents.
Sundelin.
CODEINA.
Synonymes. Codeinum, Codeia, Codeine.
German.—Kodein.
Although opium had been repeatedly examined by the che-
mists, and certain of its active constituents separated from it, it
was not until within the last few years, that the article, whose
name is at the head of this paragraph, had been obtained from
it. It was discovered by Robiquet in 1832,* and as it has been
exhibited as a therapeutical agent, it requires notice.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
According to Winkler,f this new alkaloid may be prepared in
the following manner. The morphine is first thrown down from
a solution of opium made in the cold by means of ammonia; the
meconic acid is precipitated by the muriate of lime; for the
removal of the colouring matter, the fluid is then treated with the
extract or subacetate of lead; and the extract of lead, contained
m the fluid poured off from the precipitates, is afterwards decom-
posed by sulphuric acid; the fluid, separated from the sulphate of
lead, is now treated with an excess of caustic alkali; the mixture
is exposed to the air until the excess of free alkali has attracted
carbonic acid from it; it is then agitated and digested with ether,
and left to evaporate spontaneously, after which a yellowish,
* Journal de Pharmacie, xix. 91 and 162. Paris, 1833.
f Buchner's Report, xlv. p. 459, cited in Journal de Pharmacie, xxi. 251.
Fans, 1835.
CODEINA. 151
highly transparent, but not crystalline compound remains, which
forms with muriatic acid a crystalline salt, and resembles exactly
the codeine of Robiquet.
Merck* procures the codeine in a very simple manner. He
treats morphine precipitated by soda with cold alcohol; the spirit-
uous tincture is carefully saturated with sulphuric acid; the alco-
hol drawn off, and the residue treated with cold water as long as
it is turbid; it is then filtered, and the filtered liquid evaporated
until it has the consistence of syrup: on cooling, ether is poured
over it in a large flask; caustic alkali is added in excess, and the
whole strongly agitated, The ethereal mixture is then so satu-
rated that the codeine crystallises from it in a few hours. By
evaporating the ether, and treating the residue with alcohol, the
codeine is obtained by degrees wholly pure, and separated from
an oily matter, which is a great object to crystallisation.
Codeine, according to Pelletier consists of 31 parts of carbon;
40 parts of hydrogen; 5 parts of oxygen, and 2 of azote. It is
an alkaloid, soluble in water, alcohol and ether; but not so in
alkaline solutions. It unites readily with acids, and, with the
muriatic acid especially, forms a salt, which crystallises with great
facility. When the crystals of codeine are heated on a plate of
platina, they burn with a flame without leaving any residue.
Heated in a tube, they melt at about 150° centigrade; and, if
allowed to cool immediately, they form a crystilline mass; if, how-
ever, the heat be continued, the oleaginous fluid rises along the
sides of the tube, appearing to shun the heat; but it does not vola-
tilise. When dissolved in water, codeine communicates to it deci-
dedly alkaline properties. 1000 parts of water at 60° Fahrenheit,
dissolve 12.6 parts of codeine; the same quantity at 100°, 37 parts,
and at 212°, 58.8 parts. If more codeine be added to boiling water
than can be taken up, the surplus melts, and forms, like the meco-
nine, an oleaginous layer on the bottom of the vessel. This aqueous
solution, by careful refrigeration, affords a translucent and uncom-
monly well defined metal. The tincture of galls forms a copious
precipitate with a solution or codeine, in which respect, the latter
differs essentially from morphine, as it does in many other of its
properties.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
As morphine does not represent the whole of the activity of
opium, Robiquet concluded, that other substances might concur
thereto, and he conjectured that codeine might be one of those.
* Journal de Pharmacie, cited in Amer. Journal of Pharmacy, new series, i.
171. Philad. 1835.
152
CODEINA.
Under this idea, Kunkel* instituted experiments with it on rabbits
and dogs, from which he obtained the following results.
First. Codeine differs from morphine in this, that it does not,
like the latter, paralyse the lower extremities. Secondly, Codeine
appears to exert a powerfully excitant action. It occasions con-
vulsions of the limbs, and of the muscles of the neck, and when it
produces death, this seems to be owing to its action on the cere-
bellum and medulla oblongata; twice he noticed symptoms of
backward progression under its use, and those parts after death
were found turgid with blood. To judge from the condition of
the heart and lungs it affects likewise the circulatory organs. It
occasions inflammation of the tissues, with which it comes into
immediate contact. Its action is more energetic, when introduced
into the cellular membrane, than into the stomach. It seems,
also, to exhibit a special action on the urinary organs, for animals
to which it is given never evacuate their bladder as long as they
are under its influence. Thirdly. The action of codeine differs
from that of the watery extract of opium, in not paralysing the
hinder extremities; but it approximates it in this, that it acts, as
has been said, more powerfully when introduced into the cellular
membrane than into the stomach, and accelerates the respiration
and circulation.
Kunkel, however, remarks upon the results of his experiments,
that they demand repeated trials for confirmation, as he was only
able to experiment with a very small quantity of the substance.
Robiquet observes that Kunkel's experiments have led to the in-
ference, that when codeine is combined with acids, it loses much
of its efficacy—the very opposite, by the way, to the inferences
of Magendie.
Barbierf has taken considerable pains to fix the value of code-
ine as a remedial agent. He prescribed it in the dose of one or
two grains in a syrup, prepared with the aqueous solution of the
alkaloid, of such strength, that a table-spoonful or half an ounce
contained one grain of codeine. In his opinion, it exerts a pecu-
liar agency on the nerves of the ganglionic system, whilst it ap-
pears to possess but little influence on the hemispheres of the brain,
and to make no impression upon the spinal marrow. In the epi-
gastric region, he remarks, the agency of codeine is powerfully
manifested; and here in the centre of the ganglionic system, its
effects may be investigated, and their extent and magnitude ap-
preciated. If a spoonful, or, at an interval of from °one to two
hours, two spoonfuls of the syrup of codeine be administered to
one affected with the symptoms to be described immediately,
* Journal de Chimie Medicale, ix. 223.
t Gazette Medicale, Mars 8, 1834.
CODEINA.
153
we shall find, that it exhibits a considerable and remarkable
effect upon the economy. If the person complains of pain in the
epigastric region, beneath the lower extremity of the sternum,
and stretching to the sides and back; and if, with these symptoms,
there is combined a feeling of heat, indescribable anxiety, marked
debility, paleness, decided alteration of the features; a sense of
painful traction sometimes on one side, at others in the other
side of the epigastric region, with tendency to syncope, frequent
sighing, despondency, and more or less sensibility to pressure in
the epigastric region, &c, Barbier considers the seat of the dis-
ease to be the epigastric nervous plexus; and in such cases, he
says, he has found no remedy superior to the syrup of codeine.
He has observed it afford decided relief where the coats of the
stomach were manifestly in a state of degeneration. A common
effect of the codeine is sleep; which is never accompanied by
heaviness of the head, or by determination of blood to the brain.
When the persons awake from the sleep produced by codeine,
the countenance is bright and lively, and there is a tendency to
laughter. Barbier was led to believe, that it does not affect the
nervous cords connected with the vertebral portions of the cen-
tre of the nervous system. In his observations at the hospital of
Amiens, he often noticed the neuralgic affection of the abdomen
above mentioned to be accompanied by pains in the head, loins,
and limbs, and whilst the codeine relieved the abdominal unea-
siness, it left the others untouched,—a singular circumstance if
true, but requiring fresh observation before we can esteem it to
be established. He remarks farther, that almost all the patients
that were benefited by the codeine had used laudanum unsuccess-
fully. Codeine, he adds, occasions no manifest change in the
circulation and respiration; it does not disturb the digestive func-
tion; seems merely to diminish the feeling of hunger, and occa-
sions no constipation. During its use, itching of the surface is
frequently experienced. When applied to the skin, it induces no
striking phenomena. When applied, in the dose of two grains,
to a surface abraded by a blister, it excites a painful sensation of
burning, without any other change appearing to supervene; the
neuralgic pains, for the removal of wbich it may have been thus
employed, not appearing to be modified by* it.
Mr. Gregory made experiments upon himself and some of his
pupils with the nitrate of codeine. None of them experienced
any effect from a dose of three grains and under; from four to
six grains, however, occasioned striking symptoms—quickness of
the pulse, sense of heat in the head and face, remarkable ex-
citement, like that following the use of intoxicating liquors; agree-
able, and apparently permanent, stimulation, accompanied by
considerable itching, which began at the head and extended over
the whole body. To this succeeded, in the course of a few hours,
14
154
CODEINA.
a disagreeable sense of relaxation, with nausea, and often vomit-
ing. None of the experimenters felt the slightest inclination to
sleep, until after the supervention of the feeling of relaxation.
Riecke* thinks, that these experiments confirm Kunkel's ob-
servations, that the codeine loses its efficacy when combined
with acids.
In the year 1834, M. Martin Solon, at one of the sittings of
the Academie Royale de Medecine, when the experiments of
Barbier with codeine were the subject of discussion, confirmed
his views regarding its soporific property. It appeared to him
to allay the cough of the consumptive. He remarked, however,
that he had not observed the effects on the ganglionic nervous
system, which Barbier had witnessed.
Magendief took a grain of codeine, dissolved it in a little water,
and injected it into the jugular vein of a middle sized dog, which
was immediately thrown into a profound sleep—readily broken,
however, by any strong noise made in the vicinity of the animal;
but the interruption was of brief duration,—sleep soon recurring.
This condition persisted for several hours without being accom-
panied by any unpleasant symptoms. The effect was not the
same with the muriate of codeine; a single grain of this salt in-
troduced in the same manner into the organism suddenly in-
duced deep sleep, but after the animal had slept five or six hours,
it died. Several similar experiments afforded a like result.
Magendie administered the codeine in the Hotel Dieu to different
patients. He found that one grain, given once or twice, suc-
ceeded, in many cases, in inducing a quiet and soft sleep, to
which no confusion succeeded the next day, as is commonly the
case with morphine. As respects intensity of action, he com-
pares one grain of codeine to half a grain of morphine. Two
grains often excited nausea, and even vomiting. Magendie
found the muriate to be decidedly stronger than the pure codeine.
Two grains commonly induced, besides sleep, vertigo, nausea
and even vomiting; but this dose succeeded like a charm, in
cases of neuralgia faciei and in sciatica, which had resisted the
most valued agents.J
Dr. Miranda, of the Havana, has published^ the results of his
experience with codeine in what he calls powerful nervous irrita-
tions of the mucous membrane of the stomach, and he affirms, that
he cured eleven cases by the syrup of codeine alone.
He began with a dram of the syrup night and morning, and
* Die neuern Arzneimittel, u. e. w. S. 140. Stuttgart, 1837.
f Formulaire pour la preparation et l'emploi de plusieurs nouveaux rn^dica-
mens. Edit. 9me. Paris, 1836.
X Gully's Translation of the 8th edit, of Magendie's Formulaire. Lond.
1835.
§ Journal de Pharmacie, xxiv. 145. Paris, 1838.
COLCHICUM AUTUMNALE.
155
gradually increased the quantity to an ounce in the twenty-four
hours. His success was so striking that he is induced to " re-
gard the discovery of codeine as fortunate for humanity, especially
for climates like that of the Havana, in which gastrites are so
multiplied."
The syrup of codeine, syrupus codeina, is directed by M. Cap^
to be prepared in the following manner:—
R. Codein. gr. xxiv.
Aqua? destillat. ^iv.
Sacchar. purificat. 3vnj-
Reduce the codeine to an impalpable powder in a glass or
porcelain mortar. Triturate with one-third of the water, allow
it to settle and decant. Treat the residuum with another third
of the water, and again with the remainder. Put the whole into
a small mattrass, covering the opening with a piece of moistened
parchment perforated with a pinhole. Heat in a water bath until
the codeine has entirely disappeared. Remove the mattrass from
the fire to add the sugar; cover the opening again; agitate, and
put the vessel again in the bath, until the sugar is completely dis-
solved.
Each ounce of the syrup contains two grains of codeine.
The muriate has been used in this city, but it has not been
found to possess any virtues which the salts of morphine do not;
whilst its price is enormous—as much, we are informed, as four
dollars the dram.
COLCHICUM AUTUMNALE.
Synonymes.—Colchicum, Meadow Saffron.
French.—Colchique, Tue-Chien, Mort aux Chiens, Safran des Pres, Safran
Batard, Vieillotte.
German.—Herbstzeitlose, Zeitlose, Wiesensafran, Herhstblume.
The meadow saffron is a well-known plant in the temperate
parts of Europe, where it grows wild in moist meadows. It be-
longs to the family Colchicaceae; and, in the Linnean system, to
the class Hexandria, order Trigynia. The plant is avoided by
cattle; and its active poisonous properties have been long known;
fatal cases, indeed, still occur every now and then from its em-
* Ibid, xxiii. 418. Paris, 1837.
156
COLCHICUM AUTUMNALE.
ployment, not only in animals, but in consequence of its too free
use in the treatment of gout. Reynolds, the inventor of the wine
of Colchicum, commonly called Reynolds's Specific, is said
to have killed himself by an overdose of it. A case is given of a
man who took, by mistake, an ounce and a half of the tincture,
and died in forty-eight hours, after much suffering from vomiting,
acute pain in the stomach, colic, purging, and delirium.* The
cases pf two children are also on record, who were poisoned by
a handful of the seeds, and who died in the course of the day,
death being preceded by violent vomiting and purging. In the
bodies of these children, considerable redness of the mucous coat
of the stomach and small intestines was found; in other cases, no
morbid appearance has been detected.f
Recently, a fatal case has been published by Dr. Blumhardt,
from the papers of Dr. Neubrandt. The patient, a man, aged
thirty-two, took by mistake, a decoction made of a large table-
spoonful of the seeds of Colchicum to three pints of water. He
was soon afterwards attacked by vomiting, purging, and died two
days afterwards under symptoms of narcosis and endo-enteritis.
Another fatal case is referred to, in the same journal,J which
was caused by the leaves of the Colchicum.§
Colchicum is not of modern introduction. It is, indeed, the
Hermodactyl of the ancients. It had, however, almost wholly
fallen into neglect, when its use was revived in Great Britain, in
the first quarter of the present century, as an excellent agent in
rheumatic and gouty affections. That it is highly esteemed as a
therapeutical agent is shown by the number of officinal works into
which it has been admitted. Amongst others, it is in the phar-
macopoeias of Austria, the United States, Amsterdam, and Anvers,
and in the Batavian, Belgic, Brunswick, Danish, Dublin, Spanish,
Edinburgh, Paris, Ferrara, Geneva, Hamburg, Hannoverian,
London, Lisbon, Russian, Saxon, Swedish, and Wirtemberg.
Several chemists have investigated the composition of the plant.
Pelletier and Caventou believed that they had found veratrine in
it; but, from the examination of Geiger and Hesse, it appears that
the alkaloid, discovered by those gentlemen, was not veratrine, but
a peculiar principle, colchicine, which is found in every part of
the plant; crystallises in slender needles, is inodorous, and of a
very bitter, and afterwards biting taste. Introduced into the nose,
it does not occasion sneezing like veratrine. It has but a feeble
alkaline reaction; but neutralises acids completely, and forms
* Edin. Med. and Surg. Journal, xiv. 262.
f Christison on Poisons, 3d edit. p. 791. Edinb. 1836.
X Medicinisches Correspondenzblatt, 1840, and Encyclographie des Sciences
Medicales, Mai, 1840, p. 492.
§ See a case of overdose of Colchicum, by Mr. T. A. Henderson, in Lond.
Med. Gaz. Aug. 17, 1839, p. 763.
COLCHICUM AUTUMNALE.
157
with them crystallisable salts, which have also a bitter pungent
taste. It dissolves with tolerable facility in water.
For therapeutical purposes, the root or bulb, (cormus,) as well
as the flowers and seeds of the colchicum have been administered.
The fresh root has a somewhat disagreeable smell, and a bitterish
acrid taste. When chewed for any length of time, it excites the
secretion of saliva and thirst; destroys the feeling of the tongue;
causes a sense of burning in the mouth and lips ; constriction of
the fauces, hiccup, violent pains in the abdomen, vomiting, diar-
rhoea, and discharge of blood upwards and downwards.
By drying, the bulbs lose somewhat of their efficacy. The
seeds have of late come much into use. They are inodorous, but
of a very acrid taste. Their agency is like that of the bulb, and
—some think—they are more equable in their effects. To ensure
this, however, they must be gathered wholly ripe, when they first
become entirely black. They have been highly recommended by
Dr. Williams and others.
The flowers are the mildest part of the plant. They have like-
wise been successfully administered by several English physicians.
EFFECTS ON. THE ECONOMY IN HEALTH.,
In its effects, colchicum resembles digitalis in one. thing, that it
renders the pulse less frequent,* according to Thomson and Wallis;
but in other respects, Osann and Rieckef think it agrees more
with the squill. In moderate- doses, the different parts of the plant
that have been mentioned act as diaphoretics, diuretics, and car
thartics. On the digestive organs, they are conceived to produce
less debilitating effects than the squill.
Sir Everard Home ascribes much of the griping and' nauseat-
ing effect, that sometimes follows the use of the vinous and other
tincture of colchicum, which have not been carefully filtered, to
thersediment which forms in them, and which may be removed
without injury to the desired effect of the medicine.J
Several experiments were made with the colchicum on healthy
individuals. In the first case, 160 drops of the vinous tincture of
the seeds were taken in 24 hours by a young man, aged 18: the
first dose being 50 drops, the last 60. Seven copious evacuations
were produced, with loss of appetite and debility, for 24 hours.
In the second case, a youth, 17 years old, took 170 drops in 9
hours, in doses of 70, 30, and 40 drops; nausea and vomiting, and
six copious evacuations followed. Third case; a youth, aged 15,
* Art. Colchicum, Encyc.Worterb. der med. Wissensch. viii. 136. Berlin,
1832.
t Op. cit. S. 142. ,
t Brande's Dictionary of Mat. Med. p. 189. Lond. 1839.
14*
158
COLCHICUM AUTUMNALE.
took 130 drops in 10 hours, and in four doses; the first of 40 drops,
and the last three of 30: vomiting and only one stool were the
result. Fourth case; a youth, aged 12, took 60 drops in two
doses, after an interval of eight hours: nine copious watery eva-
cuations were produced. Fifth case; a youth, aged 17, took 40
drops at bed-time, 30 drops next morning, and 30 drops seven
hours after—in all, 100 drops in 19 hours: vomiting and faint-
ness, and five copious evacuations were the result. The same
boy afterwards took 70 drops at one dose, which were followed
by vomiting and headach, but not by purging. Sixth case; a
boy, aged 10, took 80 drops in 24J hours, in four doses, of 20,
15, 25, and 20 drops: great sickness and vomiting, and nine eva-
cuations resulted.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
The diseases in which colchicum is recommended, are as fol-
lows :
In gouty and rheumatic cases, it has been supposed to be almost
a specific. Numerous practitioners have testified to its valuable
agency in such affections; among these may be named Mr. Want,
Dr. Johnson, Dr. Williams, Mr. Battley, Dr. Armstrong, Sir Eve-
rard Home, Sir C. Scudamore, Mr. Haden, Dr. Copland, Dr.
Graves, Sir Henry Halford, Dr. Wallis, Dr. Barlow,* and Mr.
Wigan,f in England; and Locher-Balber, Kahleis, Gumpert,
Plasse, Weber, Klokow, Biermann, &c. in Germany .J
Colchicum is presumed to be the active ingredient of the cele-
brated gout remedy—the Eau medicinale d'Husson—which has
been considered to be formed of two ounces of the colchicum root,
macerated in eight ounces of Sherry wine; the dose being from
twenty to eighty drops.
In acute rheumatism, as well as in various inflammatory affec-
tions, colchicum was proposed by the author's friend, Mr. Charles
T. Haden,§ as an excellent sedative to reduce excited organic
action, which he conceived it capable of effecting to such an ex-
tent, that blood-letting might generally be rendered unnecessary
* Art. Gout, in Cyclopaedia of Practical Medicine.
f Lancet, and Med. Gaz. June 30, 1838. In rheumatic gout, Mr. Wigan
gives it in the dose of eight grains every hour, until " active vomiting, pro-
fuse purging, or abundant perspiration takes place, or at least until the sto-
mach can bear no more." Thus administered, he pronounces it to be "the
most easily managed, the most universally applicable, the safest, and the
most certain specific (?) in the whole compass of our opulent Pharmaco-
poeia.
X Riecke, Op. cit., and Richter's Specielle Therapie, x. 180. Berlin 1828
\ Practical Observations on Colchicum Autumnale in Inflammatory Dis-
eases. Lond. 1320. '
COLCHICUM AUTUMNALE.
159
in febrile and inflammatory disorders ;* yet, in the very cases in
which it was esteemed so appropriate by Mr. Haden and by Car-
minati,-j- it is regarded unadvisable by others. Thus, Riecke,J
speaking of its use in acute rheumatism, says, that it was at one
time given in that disease under the most opposite circumstances,
buf that it was soon found necessary to restrict its employment
within narrower limits, and to pretermit it when any considerable
febrile condition existed.
We have often exhibited the different preparations of colchi-
cum in gout, and frequently with decided advantage; but very
often it has failed altogether. In our own person, it has never
appeared to prevent or to modify the paroxysm. In acute, and
the same may be said of chronic rheumatism, its advantages have
not been by any means clearly marked in our experience: many
physicians, however, testify most strongly in its favour. Like
other acronarcotics, as the cimicifuga, when pushed to the ex-
tent of slightly affecting the system, as shown by nausea, with
some cerebral confusion, it has at times effected a revulsion,
which has broken in upon the morbid chain in cases of acute
rheumatism. In chronic rheumatism it has exhibited less marked
results: yet there is no agent, perhaps, which is so much em-
ployed in rheumatic cases in general.
In none of these cases, according to most observers, need any
sensible evacuation be produced by it, although some, we have
seen, have affirmed—and such is the result of our observation—
that it is more efficient when it evinces its influence upon the skin
or alimentary canal.§
The vinous tincture of the seeds has been extolled in the tetanus
of warm climates, by Dr. W. G. Smith,|| of Port-au-Prince. He
begins with 3ss and increases the dose every half hour, repeating
it until emesis or catharsis has been produced. The remedy is
then discontinued.
In dropsy, colchicum was used of old with good results; and it
has been employed in modern times. Carminati gives the de-
tails of a case of dropsy supervening on scarlatina, and Plasse,
one of hydrothorax, in which it was advantageously prescribed.
In such cases, it may be well to push the remedy until it affects
the bowels.
In chronic bronchitis it has been given by many physicians,
* See, also, Dr. Lewins, in Edinb. Med. and Surg-. Journal for April, 1837,
and in Brit, and For. Medical Review, for Oct. 1837, p. 565.
f Mernor. dell' Instituto del Regno Lombardo-Venet. 1819.
\ Op. cit. S. 143.
§ See Wood and Bache's Dispensatory, Art. Colchicum; and Lewins, Op.
citat.
|| Amer. Jour, of the Med. Sciences, for Nov. 1835, p. 66.
160
COLCHICUM AUTUMNALE.
and especially by Drs. Armstrong* and Hastings,! with advan-
tage. By RittonJ it has been advised as an extremely efficacious
remedy in leucorrhaea, in the dose of five grains of* the powder
three times a day; and in several spasmodic diseases it has been
extolled by Raven. Mr. Tait§ speaks in exalted terms of it in
scarlatina—the dose, to children from four to six years of age,
being three or four drops of the vinum colchici every three or
four hours. Mr. Fosbroke advises it in ischuria; Elliotson saw
favourable effects from it in obstinate prurigo; Bullock gave it in
erysipelas; and by Chisholm and Baumbach|| it was exhibited
successfully against tapeicorm.
The colchicum is sometimes applied externally as a liniment to
rheumatic joints, in the form of the tincture of the seeds or bulb.1I
Of late, it has been recommended by Mr. Wansborough in gout;**
two drams of the tincture of the seeds being added to jiv of a
spirit lotion. It is affirmed, however, that the local use of mor-
phine had the same effect,ff—the part being bathed in hot water
for a minute, and then lint being applied, spread with simple ce
rate, on which about three grains of acetate of morphine were
distributed.
Still more recently, Mr. LaycockJJ has advised the tincture of
the root as an external application in rheumatism, alone or com-
bined with the tinctura camphorae. It has been used in the au-
thor's Clinique at the Philadelphia Hospital, and often with ad-
vantage ; but whether much or any of the benefit was produced
by the colchicum, the author was unable to decide.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
Colchicum is not so frequently given in substance, although we
often prescribe it in this form. The dose of the powdered root is
from three grains to ten, given several times in the day. The offi-
cinal preparations of this country and Great Britain are;—the
acetum colchici (United States and London;) the oxymel colchici
(Dublin;) the syrupus colchici (United States and'Edinburgh;)
the vinum colchici radicis (United States and London;) and the
* Pathology of Consumptive Diseases. Lond. 1822.
t Inflammation of the Mucous Membrane of the Luno-s. Lond 1821
X Lancet, August 2, 1834.
j American Journal of the Medical Sciences, May, 1838, p. 205.
|| Rust's Maoazin, B. xxi. S. 270; and Osann, in art. Colchicum, in
Encyclopad. Worterb. der medicin. Wissenschaft. B. viii. S. 136. Berlin,
1832.
IF Dictionnaire de Matiere Medic, par. MM. Merat & De Lens, ii. 361
** Lancet, July 29, 1837.
ft Ibid, August 5, 1837.
XX Lon. Med. Gaz. March 16,1839, and June 8. 1839, p. 388.
COLCHICUM AUTUMNALE.
161
extractum colchici aceticum (London.) These are made from the
bulb.
The officinal preparations from the seeds are the tinctura semi-
num colchici (Dublin;) and vinum colchici seminis (United States.)*
The London Pharmacopoeia has likewise, a spiritus seminis colchici
ammoniatus or tinctura colchici composita, which is much used
by the English physicians; and is formed by macerating two
ounces and a half of bruised colchicum seeds in a pint of aromatic
spirit of ammonia. Battley recommends an Extractum colchici e
succo bulborum recenter expresso, and such a preparation is in
the Pharmacopoeia of Austria.f The dose is two grains every
two hours.
Dr. A. T. Thomson recommends a saturated vinous tincture,
made by macerating an ounce and a half of the dried bulb in
twelve ounces of white wine. From thirty to sixty minims to be
given to gouty patients when in pain.
The dose of the powdered root or seed is, as we have said, from
three to ten grains; of the acetum colchici, from thirty minims to
one fluid dram; of the syrupus colchici, from one fluid dram to
half a fluid ounce; of the vinum colchici radis, from fifteen mi-
nims to one and a half fluid dram; and of the vinum colchici se-
minis, from one to two fluid drams.
Dr. Copland^ suggested the use of the fresh flowers in the form
of vinegar, tincture, &c, as milder than the seeds or bulbs, and
yet equally efficacious in rheumatic and other affections; but they
are not employed.
Mistura Colchici.
Mixture of Colchicum.
R. Magnes. sulphat. ^j ad gij.
Solve in
Aquae menth. crisp, ^x.
Adde
Acet. colchic. ^j. ad ^iss.
Syrup, croc. ^j.
Magnes. 9viij. M.
To be well shaken. Three table-spoonfuls to be administered,
so that from four to six evacuations maybe produced in twenty-
four hours. Given in paroxysms of gout. Sir C. Scudamore.
* Dunsrlison's General Therapeutics, Philad. 1836; and Dispensatory of
Messrs. Wood and Bache.
f Jourdan's Pharmacopee Universelle, i. 436. Paris, 1828.
X Lond. Med. Repos. 1823.
162 CORTEX ADSTRINGENS BRASILIENSIS.
Gutta Colchici Composita.
Compound Drops of Colchicum.
R. Extract, aconit. J}i to Jss.
Solve in
Vin. sem. colchic. ?ss. M.
Fifteen, twenty, thirty, or forty drops to be given three times a
day. Weber.
R. Tinctur. sem. colchic.
------guaiac. simpl. aa. 3iij. M.
Dose—Thirty or forty drops three times a day, in chronic rheu-
matism. Blasius.
R. Tinct. sem. colchic.
------digit, aa. Jij.
Sp. aether, nitric. 9j. M.
Dose—Twenty drops on sugar. Hildenbrand.
Pilula Colchici.
Pills of Colchicum.
R. Pulv. colchic. gr. iij.
Saponis medic, q. s. ut fiat pilula.
Dose—Three daily, increasing the quantity to five or six.
Ritton.
Linimentum Colchici et Camphora.
Liniment of Colchicum and Camphor.
R. Tinctur. rad. colchic.
Camphorae, aa. partes aequales. M.
Laycock.
CORTEX ADSTRINGENS BRASILIENSIS.
Synonymes.—Astringent Bark of Brazil.
This bark was introduced into Germany, in the year 1818, by
Schimmelbusch, a merchant, who carried it from Brazil, where
CORTEX ADSTRINGENS BRASILIENSIS.
163
it had long been used internally as well as externally, as an ex-
cellent astringent.* According to Von Martius,f it is the bark
of the acacia jurema, but this is not certainly determined.J
Merrem§ affirms, that the genuine bark is in more or less flat
pieces, at times in half, or complete rolls, from four to twelve
inches long; from an inch to two inches and a half broad, and
from one to four lines thick: these are more frequently straight
than crooked. The bark may be separated into two parts, an
outer, which is rough, and an inner rind of a smooth fibrous
character: the two are but loosely connected together. The
outer bark is of a grayish brown colour, traversed by longitudi-
nal and transverse furrows, having here and there, white and
grayish white crusty growths, covered with a foliated lichen.
The inner bark is of a dark red brown on its outer surface, and
after the outer bark has been separated, is somewhat smooth: on
the inner side, it is of a brighter reddish brown, and, probably
owing to the laceration of the woody splinters, somewhat fibrous.
The younger bark is smooth in the fracture, and of a dull splen-
dour. The older bark, which is thicker, is unequal, and may
often be separated into fibrous layers, which are readily lacera-
ble. When chewed, it has a tolerably strong astringent, some-
what bitter and disagreeable taste, but it does not excite nausea,
or leave any arriere-gout. It has scarcely any smell. In its
chemical relations, it resembles the ratanhy.|[
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
Merrem, who made numerous experiments with this bark,
affirms, that whilst it possesses the properties of astringents in
general, and to a high degree, it is -rather sedative than exciting,
agrees with the digestive organs, and aids the peristaltic action.
He employed it, first, with more or less success, in hemorrhage
—in epistaxis, hamoptysis, and metrorrhagia; and Giintherll
found it very efficacious in profuse menstruation arising from
atony of the uterus. Secondly; in mucous discharges, as leucor-
rhcea, blennorrhea, &c. Thirdly; in inflammatory and exanthe-
* Von Schlectendal, in Encyclop. Worterb. der medicin. Wissenschaft. B.
viii. S. 538. Berlin, 1832.
f Reise, ii. 788.
X Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimittel, S. 146.
S Ueber den Cortex adstringens Brasiliensis. Koln, 1828.
|| See the analysis by Hofrath Trommsdorf, in Brandes' Archiv. B. xxxui.
S.260; and Dierbach in Heidelberg. Annalen, B. x. H. 3. S. 357. Heidelb.
1'in Harless Rhein-Westphal. Jahrbuchern, B. viii. St. 1, S. 72; and
Brande's Archiv. Band xi. S. 200.
164
CORTEX ADSTRINGENS BRASILIENSIS.
matous affections—as cynanche, urticaria, and in periodical ery-
sipelas of the face. Fourthly; in nervous diseases, especially
when combined with disturbances of the menstrual function, and
leucorrhaa: and, fifthly; in iveakness and catarrhs of the genital
organs, bladder, and rectum. The Indians consider, that the
bark affects especially the generative apparatus, and, from the
experiments of Merrem, it would seem, that its agency is more
particularly exerted in cases of leucorrhaa; and in many, after
the cinchona had been administered without effect.*
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
Merrem prescribed it in various forms. He gave the powder
in doses of from 9j to 3ss, three or four times a day, mixed with
water. It appeared to him to act most beneficially in cases of
mucous discharges unaccompanied by disorder of the digestive
functions; and he found that the powder was better borne by some
than the decoction, which is somewhat singular, as the woody
matter is more apt, in such cases, to disagree. He rareiv gave
it combined with aromatics, and never found the combination of
use. To form the decoction, an ounce of the coarsely powdered
bark was boiled with sixteen ounces of water, down to Sviij; and
to this an ounce of syrup was added. The dose was from one
to two spoonfuls every two hours. Merrem also prepared an
extract, and a tincture, in the same manner as these preparations
are made of the cinchona; of the former he took from one to two
drams, dissolved it in six ounces of an aromatic water, and
added |ss of syrup. Of the mixture, a spoonful was given every
hour.
Externally, the decoction was injected three times a day in
leucorrhcea, and in blennorrhcea; or, in the former disease, a
sponge imbued with the decoction, was introduced, and kept there
for some time. It has been applied, also, as an astringent to
ulcers.
Mistura Corticis Brasiliensis Adstringentis.
Mixture of the Astringent Bark of Brazil.
R. Decoct, cort. adstring. Brazil, £vij.
Copaib. cum vitelli ovi q. s. subact.
Tinct. ferri pomati aa. 3ij.
Syrup, balsam, ^j. M.
Dose.—A spoonful every two hours, in obstinate gonorrhoea
and leucorrhcea. Merrem.
* Osann, in Encyc. Warterbuch der median. Wissensch. viii. 541.
CREASOTON. 165
R. Cort. adstring. Brasil. 5ss.
Coque cum aquae fontan. q. s.
Sub fin. coction. adde
Herb, sabin. 5ss.
Colaturae, 5viij. adde
Syrup, cort. aurant. 2j.
Dose.—A spoonful every hour, in cancer of the uterus, and in
the hemorrhage thence arising. Merrem.
CREASOTON.
Synonymes.—Creosoton, Creosotum, Kreosoton, Kreosotum, Creosote, Cre-
asote, Kreosote, Kreasote.
German.—Kreosot,
This substance was first discovered, a few years ago, by Rei-
chenbach, of Blansko, and is extensively employed as a therapeu-
tical agent. Its marked chemical properties suggested, that it
might be possessed of a decided influence on the economy, and
numerous experiments were immediately instituted to test the ac-
curacy of the notion. These were of the most opposite charac-
ter, and it is not. surprising, as in every similar case, that there
should have been great discrepancy in the results* and in the opi-
nions deduced therefrom. There can be no doubt, however, that
the creasote forms a valuable addition to the list of our remedia1
agents.
MODE OF PREPARING.
The process given by Koene,* is esteemed one of the best for
preparing it on a large scale;—almost the only way in which it is
formed: we consequently meet with it only in commerce;—being
rarely made in the shops.
Tar, derived from pit-coal, is distilled in a retort provided with
a long tube, having a large mouth. Under this is placed a re-
ceiver. The oil, which comes over first, swims on water; and it
is necessary to remove, from time to time, the products of the dis-
tillation, until an oil is obtained, which sinks in water. When this
* Annates de Chimie et de Physique. Juillet, 1835. See Cormack on
Creosote, p. 36. Lond. 1836; or the Amer. edit, in Dunglison'e American Medi-
cal Library; also, Turner's Chemistry, 5th edit. p. 872.
15
166
CREASOTON.
is the case, the product is collected. The heavy oil, obtained
during the distillation, condenses not only in the receiver, but in
the tube of the retort, where it unites with the naphthaline, form-
ing a butyraceous substance. By applying a gentle heat, the
mass will drop into the receiver. The product is now allowed to
remain in a cool place for some hours, after which it is pressed.
The expressed naphthaline still contains oil, which is separated
by heating it with its own weight of acetic acid, until it melts.
After allowing it to cool, the crystallised naphtha is pressed, and
the acid adhering to the creasote is saturated with subcarbonate
of potassa. The creasote is now to be shaken for a quarter of an
hour with phosphoric acid,—the proportions being half an ounce
of the acid to twenty ounces of the oil. The mixture ought then
to be agitated with its bulk of water, and afterwards be distilled
with a graduated heat, care being taken to separate the oil which
floats on the surface. The rectified oil is now to be dis-
solved in its own volume of a hot solution of caustic potassa,
s. g. 1.120. When it has been allowed to cool for half an hour, the
supernatant oil is again removed, and the heavy oil again treated
with caustic potassa, only a fourth part of the solution being,
however, employed this time. On uniting the solutions of potassa,
a slight excess of diluted phosphoric acid is added, and the free
creasote, which floats on the surface, is separated. It is again
rectified; and the first product—which is chiefly water—being
rejected, the creasote comes over pure. M. Koene recommends
the substance, thus prepared, to be preserved in bottles, covered
with black paper.
A protracted and complex process, like the above, necessarily
makes the drug expensive, especially as the quantity obtained is
but small. M. Koene procured by it ten drams from thirty-two
ounces of tar. M. Lemere, one of the first Parisian pharmaciens
who made pure creasote, obtained from eight hundred pounds of
tar about six pounds of creasote.
Reichenbach generally prepared it from the tar of the beech by
six distillations; dissolving it afterwards in a solution of caustic
potassa three times, setting it free successively by sulphuric
acid.* j j r
Giordanof has recommended the following simplified mode for
* For an account of this and other products of the destructive distillation of
vegetable matter, see Cormack, Op. cit. Reichenbach's observations and ex-
periments are contained in a work entitled » Das Kreosot in chemischer, phy-
sischer und n.ed.c.mscher Beziehungr, von Dr.;K. Reichenbach, u. s. w. zweite
mit Nachtragen und Zueataen von Schweijrger-Seidel verm. Ausgabe. Leipz.
1835; see, also, Annales de Chimie, hii. 325. Paris 1833
t Annah di Medicina, Aprile, 1835, and Br. and For. Med. Rev. July, 1836,
ft? ifi^ ^^P'0^80; Calderini,Bee Edinb. Med. and Surg. Journ. for
Oct. 1834; and for that of M. Cozzi, see Journal de Chimie Medicale, and
Amencan Journal of Pharmacy, Jan. 1839, p. 339.
CREASOTON.
167
obtaining it. Distil wood tar from the willow, at an elevated
temperature, from a tinned copper retort, until the residue has the
consistence of a soft pitch. Re-distil the liquor passed over till
its residue resembles the former. The liquor, neutralised by sub-
carbonate of potassa, or lime-water, is re-distilled till all the oil of
creasote has passed over. The oil is dissolved in caustic potassa,
from which, after simmering a little, in a porcelain vessel, and
cooling, the eupione, which floats, is easily separated. The same
operation is repeated with the eupione, to remove all the oil that
is united with it. The saponaceous liquor, treated with dilute
sulphuric acid, is distilled into water, from which the creasote is
separated, and the water saturated with creasote is kept for ex-
ternal use, or re-distilled for a concentrated acetic acid of a pun-
gent and most agreeable odour.
Creasote is a colourless, transparent fluid. Its refractive power
is very great, and in angular glass vessels it is beautifully irides-
cent. * Its odour is penetrating, and disagreeable, but not offen-
sive : many compare it to that of castor. It adheres to every
thing, and is somewhat^ permanent. Its taste is at first very
burning and caustic to the tongue; but on admixture with the
saliva, it becomes somewhat sweetish. It has an oleaginous feel,
and is of about the consistence of oil of almonds. Its specific
gravity, at 68° Fahr., is 1.037. It boils at 397°, and at—17°
does not congeal. When placed on paper, it forms a greasy-
spot, which, however, disappears after a while, and can be re-
moved by the application of a heated body, without any residue.
It is a non-conductor of electricity. With water at 68°, it unites
in two different proportions;—one of the combinations consisting
of U of creasote and 100 of water; the other of 10 parts of
water and 100 parts of creasote. The taste of the first mix-.
ture—creasote water—is very burning at first, and afterwards
sweetish, like that of pure creasote, but of course weaker. A
drop of creasote in 10,000 parts of water produces a marked im-
pression on the tongue, and has a smoky smell. Litmus and tur-
meric paper are not in the least changed by it; so that it has nei-
ther an acid nor an alkaline reaction. At both poles of the
galvanic battery, it furnishes numerous and striking combinations.
It does not possess the property of the ordinary empyreumatic
oils, of becoming yellow and inspissated. It dissolves iodine,
phosphorus, and sulphur. Acetic acid at 1.070, and alcohol,
dissolve it in all proportions. Ether and petroleum likewise com-
bine with it in all proportions. With potassa, it forms two or
three combinations, one of which crystallises. Resins and resi-
nous bodies either decompose creasote, or it decomposes them.
With balsams, fixed and volatile oils, camphor, and the vegetable
alkaloids it unites readily. It coagulates albumen, and its anti-
septic property is most remarkable, whence its'name, from xf ««?, ' preserver.' Fresh meat,
placed in creasote water for half an hour or an hour, and then
taken out and dried, may be exposed to the heat of the sun with-
out undergoing putrefaction. Nay, when flesh has begun to be
putrid, the process ceases after it has been washed with creasote
water, and if suffered to remain immersed in it for an hour, it
does not subsequently putrefy. There can be but little doubt, con-
sequently, that creasote is the main antiseptic and conservative
principle of the pyroligneous acid, and of tar water. From the
experiments made by Reichenbach to determine the exact com-
ponents of the flesh on which the creasote acts, he arrived at the
following results. It unites with the albumen and red particles
of the blood in the flesh, which it coagulates, without acting on
the fleshy fibre, which serves merely as the frame-wrork for the
coagulated matters; and it is well known that dried albumen
does not putrefy, but becomes hard, brittle, and transparent.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN HEALTH.
/
Reichenbach has properly remarked that the excessive burning
pain in the tongue, which creasote causes, must have at once
suggested it to be a poisonous substance. It was soon found that
plants, sprinkled with creasote water, died; that fish placed in it
were convulsed; and that small animals, as wasps and flies, died
when touched with pure creasote. If a small quantity of it be
spread upon the hand, and washed off a minute afterwards, the
place is found to present a white appearance, but without pain or
inflammation. In the course of a few days, the place becomes
dry, and the cuticle desquamates. When creasote is applied to a
part where the epidermis is deficient, or to a wound, instanta-
neously an extreme violent burning pain is experienced, which
continues for eight or ten minutes, but if the part be carefully
washed, it graudally ceases. The cause of this is conceived to
be the property which creasote possesses of coagulating albumen;
and, where blood is flowing, of arresting it. If the rapid disturb-
ance, which it excites, affects important organs, death results
sooner or later according to their importance in the economy; re-
lief, however, may be afforded by those substances that dissolve
coagulated albumen, as caustic alkalies, acetic acid, &c. It is
probable, however, that the poisonous properties result from its
acrid character.
To appreciate the physiological effects of creasote, experiments
have been undertaken by many individuals. Miguet gave a
young dog, for eight days, an ounce a day of distilled water con-
taining four drops of creasote, without any effect. When, how-
ever, he doubled the dose, nausea, languor, subsultus tendinum
CREASOTON.
169
and tremors occurred, followed in the course of a few days, by
marked emaciation. On discontinuing the creasote, the functions
gradually resumed their pristine condition, and the animal reco-
vered its flesh. To another dog, he gave at once two drams in
half an ounce of water, and immediately thereafter great prostra-
tion of the muscular system ensued—vertigo, fixed eyes, stupor,
dyspnoea, accumulation of mucus in the air passages, spasmodic,
cough, discharge of large quantities of foamy saliva, with vomit-
ing of a milky matter, although the animal had taken nothing of
the kind. After two hours of suffering, the animal died of con-
vulsions. The body was immediately opened; all the tissues, ex-
cept the liver, exhaled a strong smell of creasote; and the whole of
the mucous membrane of the intestinal canal was inflamed. The
matters contained in the stomach coagulated when placed in con-
tact with albumen. When heated, they yielded a thick smoke,
and a marked smell of creasote. In the heart and large vessels
the blood was more firmly coagulated than usual: the lungs
were gorged with blood; in the brain there was no evidence
either of congestion or hemorrhage.
In another dog, into whose carotid equal portions of water and
creasote were injected, death resulted with similar phenomena,
but more rapidly. The precise quantity of creasote used in this
experiment is not stated.
Simon, in his experiments, found that when ten drops of
creasote, diluted, were injected into a vein, scarcely any effect
resulted.
Reiter and Miiller, who likewise made experiments on ani-
mals, agree with Simon as to the result of injections of creasote
into the veins ; no special symptoms were induced by it, but this
appeared to be owing to the blood being instantaneously coagu-
lated by it, which not only prevented the farther progress of the
creasote, but also of the blood, hence no evil consequences re-
sulted ; and' it is probable, as Riecke has suggested * that the
weaker the solution of creasote, within certain limits, the greater
maybe its effect on the mass of blood..
Corneliani,t an Italian physician, has also instituted a series of
experiments with creasote on lambs, rabbits, &c. All these ani-
mals bore small doses of creasote—however unwillingly it might
be taken—without any remarkable results, and without loss of
appetite. Large doses, however, immediately occasioned gene-
ral torpor, sudden inclination to pass the urine, paralysis—especi-
ally of the lower extremities—with or without convulsions, and
* Die neuern Arzneimittel, u. s. w, S. 153.
f Giornale delle Scienze Medico-Chirurgiche, No. 8. Febrajo, 1835; Brit.
and Foreign Med. Review, p. 265, Jan. 1836, and Journ.de Chimie Medicale,
Fev. 1836!
15*
170
CREASOTON.
frequently the ejection of a bloody foam. When the doses were
large, and it was but little diluted, death took place in a few mi-
nutes, and on examination, the inner lining of the stomach was
generally found corroded, yet not so constantly as to allow of
death being ascribed to that circumstance.
It followed, farther, from his experiments, that pure creasote
applied to a denuded nerve, or injected only in small quantities
into a vein, may occasion death suddenly, and that the application
of the creasote to extensive wounded surfaces in the same animals
may be ultimately followed by fatal consequences.
Where a very large dose of creasote was administered, imme-
diate death was produced without organic lesion.
In the trials made with it by Dr. Elliotson,* he found no action
produced upon the bowels; but it sometimes augmented the quan-
tity of urine. He once saw it, in doses of a minim three times a
day, cause micturition nine times in 'an hour. In another case,
in doses of three minims, it produced severe strangury.
According to Simon, when applied to the muscles, it destroys
the surface like a caustic. Miiller and Reiter, in their experi-
ments found that it speedily rendered the muscular fibres of a
dirty whitish appearance, and readily lacerable. When applied
to the fresh blood of the hog, it converted the colour in an instant
to an ashy gray; after which it became black and quickly coagu-
lated^ Mixed, either pure or diluted, with blood, it thickemTit,
the mixture assumes a brown red colour, and it is found studded
with small white points, which are nothing more than coagulated
albumen. On exposing the coagulum to the air, it assumes a yel-
lowish red colour. Reich, on the other hand, who appears to
have made many experiments with creasote, both in internal and
external diseases, affirms, that he has never observed any caustic
effect from it; from which assertion, as Riecke has remarked,!
the only inference to be deduced is, that he must always have
applied it largely diluted. Fremanger likewise asserts, that when
pure creasote is applied to the epidermis, it does not destroy it;
but merely occasions more or less redness of the skin. When
applied to a suppurating surface, it caused, instantaneously, the
formation of a white pellicle, owing to its coagulating the albumen
contained in the secretion from the wound. Adventitious tissues,
with which it is brought in contact, are destroyed by it. When
placed between the lips of a wound it prevents healing by the first
intention, by coagulating the albumen, and, consequently, it may
be employed in all cases where it is desirable to prevent the
growing together of parts. Fremanger is, indeed, disposed to
refer all its efficacy to the action, which it exerts on albumen.
* Medico-Chirurg. Transact, vol. "xix. Lond. 1835
t Op. cit. S. 154.
CREASOTON.
171
Its long continued use often occasions an inflammatory condi-
tion which, as Dr. J. L. Da Luz* observes, has nothing in com-
mon with the disease, for the cure of which it may have been
prescribed. In a case of porrigo favosa treated by it recently by
the author, febrile irritation supervened, and the head was covered
by an artificial eruption, which induced, however, a new action
in the intermediate system of the scalp, and after its subsidence,
the porrigo was cured.
Dr. Cormack, of Edinburgh, has likewise instituted various ex-
periments on the lower animals to test the physiological effects ot
creasote.f In three experiments, about twenty-five drops of pure
creasote were injected into the venous system of dogs. All the
animals died. In every case of poisoning by it, which he has ob-
served, Dr. Cormack found the following to be the symptoms:—
Its first deleterious action was a powerful one of sedation on the
heart; the vital energies of that organ seeming to be instanta-
neously paralysed. In some instances, hurried and sonorous re-
spiration went on for more than a minute after the heart had
ceased to beat. In general, one or two convulsions, resembling
the tetanic, preceded death; and, almost invariably before ex-
piring, the animal uttered one or more shrill cries. In every in-
stance, the atony of the heart immediately after death was very
striking.
From other experiments it appears, that when creasote is in-
jected into the arteries the deleterious effects are of a much milder
character, and if the dose is not large, the animal may experience
but little inconvenience; a circumstance, which proves the impor-
tance of a thorough admixture with the blood before the poison-
ous article reaches the heart; such admixture not taking place, to
the necessary extent, when the poison is injected into the veins,
but being readily effected when injected into the arteries, and
consequently distributed through the capillary or intermediate
system. . .
When taken for any length of time, the urine acquires a blaciush
hue, and in some cases creasote can be recognised in the urine.J
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
Creasote has been administered in various diseases, and the fol-
lowing may be esteemed a summary of the therapeutical experi-
ments made with it.
1. Hemorrhage. The discovery of creasote happened at a time,
when the Aqua Binelli enjoyed more confidence as a styptic than
* Jornal da Sociedadedas Sciencas Medicas de Lisboa, torn. v. Lisboa, 1837;
reviewed in Zeitschrift fur die gesammte Medicin. Oct. 1838, S. 224.
\ Op. cit. p. 66. ..
X Dr. Macleod, in Medical Gazette, xvi. 599, and xvn. bM.
172
CREASOTON.
it does now; and the fancied probability, that the nostrum was in-
debted to the creasote for its properties, gave rise to many experi-
ments with the latter in cases of hemorrhage. One of the first,
who instituted experiments with it on rabbits, was G. Simon. Not
being able to obtain any striking results from the aqua binelli, he
tried the creasote, pure, as well as in the form of creasote water,
and of an emulsion prepared with gum arabic ; and from the re-
sults of these he was led to affirm, that although creasote occa-
sioned the coagulation of the albumen of the blood, it acted no
better as a styptic than cold water. With the aqua binelli he was
not able to coagulate albumen. The rapid separation of the al-
bumen in the form of a reddish gray coagulum under the influ-
ence of the creasote, he found to be of no advantage, as the mass re-
mained soft and pulpy; and the wound in the vessel could not
close, but was immediately opened by the stream of blood. Neither
did he esteem it adapted for arresting trifling hemorrhages; for,
when very much diluted, it is still too exciting to the injured parts,
and markedly delays their union. This, indeed, might, he thinks,
be expected from the fact, that pure creasote, when placed on
the skin for ten or twenty minutes, induces superficial inflamma-
tion.
The experiments of other physicians have been decidedly more
favourable. Miiller and Reiter,* for example, in theirs, found that
creasote was far more efficacious than the aqua binelli, for, when
the latter was prescribed, it was always necessary to have re-
course to other agents, before the hemorrhage was arrested. In
their experiments on dogs, they found the hemorrhage from a
divided crural vein quickly cease, when a compress of cotton,
wetted with creasote, was placed on the vessel, with a moderate
degree of pressure. Three days afterwards, the crural artery was
exposed on the same dog, and divided; but it was afterwards ne-
cessary to tie it, as the creasote, in consequence of the excessive
hemorrhage, could not be brought into immediate contact with the
vessel, but merely acted on the superficial layer of blood, and
therefore did not arrest the hemorrhage.
The crural artery of a young and tolerably strong dog was cut
a short distance above its division, compression being at the same
time exerted upon the trunk. The artery did not bleed. Nine
minutes afterwards, a compress of cotton soaked in creasote was
applied immediately to the divided extremity of the artery, with
some degree of pressure. When the compress was removed, the
bleeding was entirely arrested, and the wounded surface was dry,
and had an ashy gray hue. In an old dog, hemorrhage from a di-
vided crural artery was arrested by the same means, but not so
* Schmidt's Jahrbvicb, cited in Encyclographie des Sciences Medicales, Mars,
K37.
CREASOTON.
173
speedily. When the artery was examined, it was found to be
wholly closed, having a navel-like depression- at the extremity,
which disappeared when the vessel was pressed upon, and ulti-
mately became conical. Within the vessel was a conical coagulum,
which could be readily detached; and for the space of a line, the
artery appeared inflamed through its coats.
In arteries that had been divided for a longer time, the union
was likewise complete; but there was this difference, that the in-
flammation at the end of the vessel had disappeared, and a pointed
fibrous caruncle was observed in the vessel, which was doubtless
the fibrinous portion of the previous coagulum.
From their experiments, M tiller and Reiter were led to confirm
the haemostatic properties of creasote, both when the hemorrhage
occurs from veins and from arteries. The arteries divided were
of considerable size, larger than the radial artery of an adult male.
They consider pressure indispensable to occasion the creasote to
act immediately on the artery; and the arrest of the hemorrhage,
they ascribe,—not alone to the coagulation of the blood, but to
the contraction of the arteries. In parenchymatous hemorrhage,
the aqua creasoti was generally sufficient; as well as in tolerably
extensive wounds of the surface.
Horing, also, obtained satisfactory results from his experiments
on animals. He exposed, on an old cat, the crural artery and
vein of the right side; made a small incision into the latter, and
pressed upon it to stop the copious flow which ensued: he then
applied over the wound, for two minutes, a small compress of lint,
wetted with a solution of creasote—two drops to one hundred of
water—and the bleeding ceased. The artery was now opened,
and a similar compress placed upon it with the same result. Two
days afterwards, a second experiment was made of the same kind,
except that, owing to the struggles of the animal, a larger open-
ing was made into the crural artery. In this case, it was neces-
sary to apply the compress for four minutes before the hemorr-
hage ceased. In another cat, a large transverse incision was made
on the inner surface of the right thigh, above the middle, by which
muscles, arteries, veins, and nerves were divided. Two large com-
presses of lint, wetted with a solution of creasote, were then
pressed on the parts for five minutes, and the bleeding entirely-
ceased. The like result was obtained in the case of an old horse,
whose jugular vein was opened. But the creasote solution did
not succeed in wholly arresting the hemorrhage in the same horse,
when an opening was made into the crural vein and artery.
To these experiments on animals may be added some that
were instituted on the human subject, and which testify, more or
less, to the efficacy of creasote as a haemostatic. Hahn applied
it in some insignificant cases, but saw no better effect from it
than from cold water. Most found it speedily arrest slight he-
174
CREASOTON.
morrhages from small vessels. Hdring applied it successfully
in cases of epistaxis, which had obstinately resisted other agents,—
two plugs of lint, dipped in a solution of creasote being inserted
in the nostrils, after which the hemorrhage soon ceased. Ficht-
dauer employed it with equally advantageous results in violent
bleeding from leech bites, after several haemostatics had been
used in vain; and Heyfelder extols it for arresting hemorrhage
from large wounded surfaces.
Berthelot differs with Fremanger and Simon, who affirm that
union by the first intention is prevented by it. The results of his
observation were entirely opposite. Miguet applied it successfully
as a haemostatic in fresh wounds on man and animals. Both
pure creasote and a solution of it were, however, unsuccessfully
used by Bardili in hemorrhage from the arteria tibialis postica,
which he ascribed to the blood having lost its albumen, owing to
the excessive discharge. Reich and Hauff found injections with
creasote water very useful in haemorrhagia uteri. Schneider had
a case of hemorrhage that had continued for seven hours in a
man eighty years old, and which proceeded from the gums of the
upper jaw; the blood oozing as from the pores of a sponge. He
directed the man to take as much aqua creasoti into his mouth
as he was able; and after three repetitions the hemorrhage ceased,
and did not recur.
Kohler* endeavoured to test the haemostatic operation upon
himself. He made an incision in his forearm an inch long, and
three or four lines deep, to which he applied creasote water. A
lancinating pain was felt in the wound, but no other sensible ef-
fect. A drop of pure creasote was now let fall between the lips
of the wound: this was followed by a sensation of burning and
drawing; for a moment coagulated flakes of a whitish gray co-
lour covered the wound, and there was a temporary cessation to
the flow: it soon, however, recurred. After a time the hemor-
rhage ceased ; but not sooner—Kohler thinks—than if cold water
had been applied. The feeling of burning and drawing continued
however, for some time; the edges of the wound were somewhat
swollen, and oedematous, and, in about four hours, were covered
with a yellowish brown lymph; but there seemed to be no delav
in the cicatrisation.
J. L. da Luzf found it an excellent styptic in capillary hemor-
rhage ; but in hemorrhage from great vessels it did not prevent
a recurrence of the bleeding.
In hamoptysis, too, the internal use of creasote has been found
beneficial. SantmiJ prescribed it in a desperate case with com-
+ OeUciriSSenSChafUiCh' AnnaIen' "' s' w> Ri- H- a S- 285- Berlin, 1835.
^S^fS^S, dP: 5Vo2°na'Mar3'1834; and Amer-Journal of the
CREASOTON.
175
plete success, and with Schmalz it was equally effective; on the
other hand, it was of little avail in Guitti's hands.
In hamatemesis, it succeeded in the hands of Dr. Isaac Par-
rish of Philadelphia,* after the remedies generally employed in
such cases had failed to produce any effect.
2. Burns.—Most used creasote with decided relief in burns of
the second and third degree, applied by means of rags wetted
with creasote water. Berthelot also cured two cases quickly
with it; the slightly burnt places becoming desiccated; the more
severe healing by the formation of a crust. Guitti applied both
creasote water and creasote ointment with advantage in burns
which had proceeded to profuse suppuration; hence, it has been
advised,—
3. In profuse suppuration, on the authority of Levrat and Ber-
thelot, but according to J. L. da Luz,f it has no marked influence
on the secretion of pus, and is therefore useless in suppurating
abscesses. In otorrhea it has been especially beneficial.
4. Lesions of the integuments.—According to Reichenbach,
creasote is of essential service in the intertrigo of children, as
well as in the excoriation induced by lying. In the latter case,
Guitti used it with success. Hahn also frequently employed it.
In cases where ulceration had not taken place, he washed the
parts several times a day with creasote water, and was of opi-
nion that he had prevented, in some cases, the occurrence of
ulceration. Where ulceration had already taken place, he co-
vered the parts with linen rags folded two or three times, which
he soaked in creasote water, and fixed them on by means of ad-
hesive straps. The superficial ulcers soon healed; and the deeper
were transformed into hollow surfaces, secreting a homogeneous
serous fluid, but no pus.
Hdring employed creasote water with advantage in sore nip-
ples; and in sprains and contusions, the creasote ointment has
been recommended by Dr. Fife.J
5. In chilblains, whether ulcerated or not, Hahn§ used crea-
sote washes successfully;—the affection yielding in a few days:
and Dr. Herndon|| regards the creasote ointment as the best re-
medy in that affection with which he is acquainted.
6. Ulcers.—Fissures of the skin and superficial ulcers, accord-
ing to Hahn, were changed, under the application of the creasote
water, into a blackish brown scab, which adhered for a long
time, and when it fell off, left the parts healed; or by occasioning
* Medical Examiner, Aug. 10, 1839, p. 501.
f Op. cit.
X Lond. Med. Gazette, April 7, 1838, p. 66.
§ Gazette Medicale de Paris, Dec. 1834.
(I American Med. Intelligencer, for March 15,1838, p. 425.
176
CREASOTON.
too much shrinking gave rise to fresh inflammation and suppura-
tion. Deeper ulcers were affected in the same manner as those
caused by long lying.
The efficacy of this agent in atonic and varicose ulcers, espe-
cially of the leg, has been attested by Levrat, Berthelot, Rossi,
Hechenberger, and others; but Guitti, Heyfelder, and Schmalz
were less satisfied with it. Very recently, a case of indolent
ulcer, between the knee and ankle, accompanied with a good
deal of inflammation, was cured by Dr. Crary, in five weeks, by
the application of a solution of creasote (ten drops to the ounce
of water,) with methodical compression to the limb, by means of
a bandage.* Meister found the application of creasote water, in
cases of carious, scrofulous, syphilitic, fistulous, and sanious ulcers,
to be strikingly, and almost uniformly useful. Heyfelder, like-
wise, found it extraordinarily useful in scrofulous ulcers, and Dr.
Cormackf states, that he had recently an opportunity of seeing a
case of this kind treated by Dr. Shortt, in the Royal Infirmary of
Edinburgh, where an extensive scrofulous ulcer of the hip, after
resisting a variety of treatment, at last yielded to creasote, and
was ultimately completely cicatrised. On the other hand, Otto
tried both the pure creasote and the watery solution in ulcers of
various kinds, especially the scrofulous; the ulcers very generally
put on, in the course of twenty-four hours, a cleaner appearance;
still they did not cicatrise, on which account Otto prefers, in old
ulcerations at least, the use of a solution of chloride of lime; for
notwithstanding creasote diminished and improved the character
of the suppuration from scrofulous ulcers, and rendered them
cleaner, it did not ameliorate the general condition; after the di-
minution of the suppuration, local pains, loss of sleep, and slight
febrile movements generally supervening. On these accounts,
Otto does not think creasote applicable to scrofulous ulcers in
general.
In scrofulous caries, many observers depose to the good effects
of creasote. Among these may be mentioned Hahn, Coster,
Ritgen, Fremanger, and Hauff. In fistulous ulcers—also of sy-
philitic origin—several physicians have employed it beneficially.
Dr, Fife,J of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, found it useful not merely
in obstinate but in malignant ulcers. In no case of ulceration,
he affirms, in which he tried it, did it disappoint his expectations.
In a sloughing carbuncle, the alcoholic solution, (thirty drops to
the ounce,) mixed with carrot poultices, was applied with advan-
tage by Dr. Herndon,§ of Culpeper C. H., Virginia.
* Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, July 3, 1839, p. 332.
t Op. cit. p. 106.
X London Medical Gazette, April 7,1S38, p. 65.
\ Amer. Med. Intelligencer, March 15, 1838, p. 425.
CREASOTON.
177
In scurvy and in scorbutic ulcers, M. Coen* found its use fol-
lowed by excellent results, and he refers to cases in which it has
been administered internally with very great advantage.
J. L. da Luzf considers it an excellent cleansing remedy in
atonic ulcers, but its prolonged use, he thinks, retards cicatrisa-
tion. In hospital gangrene, he esteems it the best antiseptic, and
the most powerful means for checking its terrific progress.
In gangrenous or sloughing ulcers, Hahn used it. Several
times a day he penciled the slough with pure creasote, and, in
the intervals, fomented it with creasote water. According to
Reichenbach, two offensive affections of the labia pudendi—the
consequences of infiltration of blood—were cured by it; and
Reich and Sir Francis Smith J treated with success cases of
cancrum oris, and the former, one of scorbutic ulceration of the
gums.
In herpetic ulcers, Horing and Berthelot observed favourable
effects from the creasote water; and it has been found especially
useful in carcinomatous and syphilitic ulcers, in which it has been
often employed.
In cancer of the uterus, Wolff injected creasote water, in two
cases, into the vagina. In one, the pain was so great, that, on the
ninth day, after six pints of creasote water had been used, it was
obliged to be discontinued. In the other case, the treatment was
continued twenty-six days, and sixteen pints were used: in it,
also, the pain was sensibly aggravated. The secretion was not
improved in either case; nor was metrorrhagia prevented by it;
for one of the patients died immediately after an attack of this
kind: the other lingered a long time.
Heyfelder found injections of creasote water, in conjunction
with the extractum calendulas, of no use in cancer uteri. On
the other hand, in a case of superficial ulceration of the os uteri
with copious discharge of a puriform mucus, which had been
treated unsuccessfully by other agents, for several months, Hahn
found an injection of creasote water effectual in fourteen days.
Tealier§ has likewise given a case of superficial ulcerations around
the os uteri, to which nitrate of silver had been applied at least
twenty times without inducing a cure. By touching the ulcers
with lint fixed upon the end of a probe, and dipped in a mixture
of one part of creasote and three parts of water, excessive pain
was induced, but this gradually passed away, and in six days
* Giornale per servire, &c. di Venezia, 1836.
f Jornal da Sociedade das Sciencas de Lisboa, T. v. Lisboa, 1837; noticed
in Zeitschrift fur die gesammte Medicin. Oct. 1838, S. 224.
X Dublin Journal of Med. Science, for May, 1837.
J Revue Medicale, Fevrier, 1834. For similar cases, see Dr. Friese, in
Berlin, medicin. Zeitung, Nro. 13,1837.
16
178
CREASOTON.
the signs of ulceration had disappeared. It is more than doubt-
ful, however, whether either of the two last cases was carcino-
matous.
In a case of cancer of the breast, a solution of creasote was
applied by the same gentleman. This excited, instantaneously,
violent pain, but after a time the pain ceased, and relief was ob-
tained.
Rossi saw a cancerous ulcer of the face healed by creasote
ointment, but it soon broke out again. The same gentleman
cured a fungous tumor on the alveolar margin of the right os
maxillare—which had occasioned the loss of all the teeth of that
side except one, and which even the actual cautery had not pre-
vented from returning—by a collutory of six drops of creasote in
six ounces of water.
Heyfelder saw creasote used without effect in a case of cancer
of the skin, and Cormack* in a case of lupus of the nose. On the
other hand, Guitti cured an ulcer, in appearance cancerous, by the
application of pure creasote, for which, at a later period, the solu-
tion was substituted, and Marchal has published a case of cancer
of the lip in which he believes he accomplished a cure by means
of creasote.f
Garbiglietti cured a fungous ulcer with caries of the fibula by
creasote, but it is questionable whether the ulcer was carcinoma-
tous; and Meisinger saw a cancer of the face improved by the
use of creasote ointment.
It has been before remarked, that Meisinger used creasote with
advantage in syphilitic ulcers. Hahn also applied creasote wa-
ter in primary syphilitic sores; the small, superficial ulcers healed
soon, the larger and deeper remained stationary. In a phage-
dic ulcerated bubo, the spreading was arrested, but this was all.
According to Heyfelder, creasote—probably the pure—excited!
in a case of primary syphilitic ulcer, in a plethoric individual'
violent inflammation, and so much sensibility, that it was obliged
to be discontinued. Berthelot cured a chancre, which had re-
sisted caustics and other cicatrising agencies, in a few days, by
creasote water. Rehfeld, also, treated secondary syphilitic ulcers
successfully with it, giving, however, at the same time, the corrosive
sublimate, inwardly. Chronic venereal ulcers have in some cases
yielded to it, after they had resisted every other kind of treat-
ment.! Dr. Burkner, of Breslau,§ reports a case which, after
having proved rebellious to every kind of general and local ma-
* Op. cit. p. 115.
t Gazette Medicale de Paris, Fev. 1835.
J Cormack, Op. citat. p. 107 See, also, Kunchel, in Bulletin G^ner. de
Thdrapeutique, p. 313. Paris, 1833.
5 Casper's Wochensclirift, Sepr. 9, 1837, S. 583.
CREASOTON.
179
nagement that could be devised, at length yielded to the applica-
tion of pure creasote by means of a camel's hair brush. The
character of the secreted pus immediately improved; the wound
began to heal by granulations from the base, and, at the end of
four weeks, Dr. Biirkner found his patient quite well. In condy-
lomata it has been equally successful. By the application of cre-
asote water, Hahn found them contract and disappear; but the
more obstinate required to be penciled with pure creasote. Hey-
felder, Reich,* Fricke, and Coen,f also found the creasote effica-
cious in these cases. The last gentleman but one had the most
frequent opportunities for observation: by him the creasote, in a
dilute state, was applied to the top of the condyloma by means of
a pencil. In cases of small condylomata, touching them once or
twice was sufficient for their removal; of larger, it had to be more
frequently repeated. In some obstinate cases, it required two or
three weeks before the condylomata disappeared; but when once
they fell off, they did not return.
7. Gonorrhea and Fluor albus.—Most extols creasote water as
a remedy in gleet. He applies it either in the-way of injection or
by small tents wetted with it and introduced into the urethra. In
fluor albus, he strongly recommends both the internal and external
use of it. Reich injected creasote water in a case of gonorrhea,
and in one of malignant fluor albus; yet its agency in these cases
was doubtful as copaiba was given at the same time. HahnJ also
used injections of creasote water in the second stage of gonor-
rhoea, and in gleet; but he did not think that the discharge ceased
sooner under its agency than under the ordinary means; whilst in
some cases, the inflammation was even augmented. In two cases
of benign fluor albus, after many other remedies had been em-
ployed in vain, Schmalz saw good effects from the use of a solu-
tion of creasote; but in a third case it afforded no relief. Dr.
Elliotson§ gave it internally to a female labouring under gonor-
rhea, at first, in the dose of two minims to an ounce of water,
and afterwards in the dose of four, six, and even eight minims,
but no good resulted from its use.
We have administered it not unfrequently in leucorrhea and
other mucous discharges, and when persevered in, it has at times
appeared to be of decided service.||
Dr. Robert Dick,1f of Glasgow, has called the attention of
the profession to its use in the chronic stage of gonorrhea, and
* Hufeland's Journal, Jan. 1834, and Revue Medicale, Mai, 1834.
f Giornale per servire a progressi della patologia. &c. di Venezia, An. 1836-
\ Gazette Medicale de Paris, Dec. 1834.
{ Lancet, for Dec. 1835, p. 435.
|| See, also, Coen, in Giornale per servire, &c. di Venezia, 1836.
IT Edinb. Med. and Surg. Journ. Apl. 1838, p. 602.
180
CREASOTON.
in gleet. He thinks its beneficial effects are more obvious than
those of copaiba. He administered it in doses of two drops with
loaf sugar beaten into a syrup with water.
8. Chronic cutaneous affections.—Reich treated a case of
crusta lactea externally by creasote, and internally by calomel
and the black sulphuret of mercury. The result was favourable.
In the itch, it was recommended by its discoverer. Wolff, too,
saw three cases of not very recent itch, cured in eight days by
lotions of creasote water. Reich and Coen* likewise extol the
water and the, ointment in inveterate itch. J. L. Da Luzf also
considers it as valuable as sulphur, but Otto did not find thewater
particularly efficacious. He gives strong testimony, however, in
its favour, in herpetic eruptions; in a very short time, it induced
evident improvement, and often removed the affection in from
eight to fourteen days. When the cases were more chronic, a
longer time was of course required for the cure. He never ad-
ministered it, however, without attaining his object. His rule
was, to bathe the affected parts twice a day with creasote water,
and in particular cases he directed, in addition, general baths of
warm water. The eruption generally disappeared very rapidly
under this management, but it speedily recurred unless general
bathing was used at the same time. It again yielded, however,
very readily to creasote water. Grandjean, Reich, and Koehler,
also employed the water-successfully in herpes; and Guitti found
both the water and the ointment most serviceable in herpetic af-
fections when combined with appropriate internal treatment.
Heyfelder recommends that alterative drinks, as the decoctum
sarsaparillas, should be combined with them. Even in herpes
exedens, the external application of creasote was found effectual
by Ritgen, Grandjean, and Rossi. WolffJ cured a case of an-
cient hhpetigo in about eight weeks, by a solution of creasote
(5ss to gv of distilled water.) At first, the application caused so
much heat and inflammation, that in eight days it was obliged to
be discontinued, and afterwards it was alternated with fomenta-
tions of warm water from day to day until the cure was com-
pleted. Dr. Herndon of Culpeper C. H., Va., derived much bene-
fit from the ointment in psoriasis.
In acase of acne rosacea of seven years' standing, accompanied
with headach, nervousness, thirst in the morning and acid eruc-
tations, for which the patient was put under treatment for a month
without success, Dr. Elliotson§ determined on trying creasote.
* Op. cit.
f Jornal da Sociedade das Sciencas Medicasde Lisboa, torn. v. Lisboa, 1837,
noticed in Zeitschrift fur die ge.^ammte Medicin. Oct. 1838. S. 224.
X Medicin. Zeitunar, u. s. w. No. 30. 1834.
j Lancet, July 4, 1834, p. 459.
CREASOTON.
181
The advantage was soon manifest, as in three days the eruption
was evidently diminished. At first, she took two minims three
times a day; this was gradually augmented to twenty minims;
the farther increase of the dose being prevented by the superven-
tion of giddiness and tremors. At the end of seven months, she
was discharged; the eruption being scarcely perceptible, and the
dyspeptic symptoms entirely removed. In a chronic pustular
disease, not curable by antiphlogistics, the same gentleman ob-
served better effects than from any previous remedy.* Dr. Cop-
land, it is affirmed, found a saturated solution in water answer
well as a lotion in porrigo favosa.\ We have often used in por-
rigo, both creasote water and creasote ointment (see the formulas
at the end of the article;) they have always appeared to us suf-
ficiently strong, and when the quantity of creasote was increased,
so much inflammatory irritation was induced that they had to be
discontinued for a time.
9. In a case of chronic inflammation of the free edge of the eye-
lids, with several ulcerated spots, a cure was effected by Coster,
by the use, twice a day, of a dilute solution of creasote, (gtt..
xij ad aqua) destillat. gij) applied by means of a camel's hair
pencil. The cure was effected in ten days. In different kinds
of ophthalmia, M. Sanson used the creasote, but never observed
the disease to be modified by the treatment.^
10. In a case of prolapsus vagina, Schlesier tried the external
use of a solution of creasote.. After astringent injections, and the
application of the decoctum ratanhiae by means of a sponge, had
been used in vain, he injected diluted creasote for seven weeks,
omitting it onlv at the time of menstruation. It excited a burning
sensation of a" few minutes' duration. At the expiration of the
time mentioned, the prolapsus had strikingly diminished, and the
great sensibility of the prolapsed parts had disappeared. Owing,
however, to the supervention of irritation in the urinary bladder,
it had to be discontinued when there was every prospect of ulti-
mate success. >
11. Dr. Buttmann,§ of Viet-z, circle of Landsberg, has given the
case of an old lady, upwards of seventy years of age, who had
laboured for several years under edema of both legs to such an
extent as to interfere materially with progression. She expe-
rienced lancinating pains in both feet, and irregular paroxysms.of
* Medico-Chirurg. Transact, xix. 237. Lond. 1835.
f Gully's Edition of Magendie's Formulary, p. 204. Lond. 1835. See,
also, Sir F. Smith, in Dublin Med. Journ. for May, 1837, and J. L. Da Luz,
Op. cit.
X Compte rendu des Seances de la Societe de Medecine, Seance du 7 Mars,
1834. ^ . ,
\ Beitragen zum Sanitats-Berichte des Frankfurter Regierungs-Bezirks;
and Mediclnische Zeitung, Dec. 7, 1836, S. 252.
16*
182
CREASOTON.
fever. Many external and internal remedies had been used in
vain, when Dr. Buttmann, by way of experiment, applied cata-
plasms of creasote, soon after which the swelling, very much to
his astonishment, gradually disappeared, and with it the febrile
attacks.
12. In toothach from carious teeth, creasote has often been
used, being applied to the hollow of the tooth by means of a
pencil, or of cotton imbued with it. The testimony in its fa-
vour has been very great,—Coster, Reich, Hahn, Kneisel, Hey-
felder, Fichtbauer, Hauff, Otto, Guitti, Kohler, Meisinger,* and
numerous others. Some have advised a collutory of creasote,
but this is more disagreeable, whilst it is less efficacious than
creasote applied immediately to the carious tooth. It excites
instantaneously acute pain and a considerable secretion of saliva.
The pain is often relieved by it, but it generally recurs; and per-
haps the advantage derived from this agent is not greater than
from the stronger essential oils. As a palliative it is very useful.
In rheumatic toothach, the insertion of a little cotton, imbued
with creasote, in the ear of the same side, has been found ser-
viceable.!
13. In deafness, apparently owing to a deficient secretion from
the ceruminous follicles, advantage has been found from the use
of the creasote, after the ear had been syringed. Perhaps as
good a form as any is that recommended by Mr. Curtis,J which
consists of one dram of creasote to four drams of lard. A little
of this oil is inserted into the meatus night and morning, with a
camel's hair pencil. He considers the preparation contra-indi-
cated in cases of otorrhcea, where there is any pain or inflamma-
tion.
Dr. Partridge,^ who has seen many excellent effects from the
creasote in such cases, prefers to commence with half a dram of
creasote to four drams of oil of almonds, applied by means of a
camel's hair brush. After a few days he usually increases the
quantity of creasote as occasion may require, often using it as
strong as one part of creasote to three of the oil.
So far we have spoken mainly of the external use of creasote.
Reference has been made to its internal administration in cases
of hamopfysis, hccmatemesis and fluor albus only. In the follow-
ing diseases, it has been chiefly given internally:—
14. Phthisis.—Reichenbach excited considerable expectations
from the use of creasote in phthisis,—pulmonary, laryngeal, and
bronchial; and as in so intractable a disease every suggestion is
* Medicin. Jarbiich. des k. k. Osterreich. Staates, B. xv. S. 553. Wien, 1834.
t Riecke, Op. cit. S. 167.
X London Lancet, vol. i. p. 328, 1838-9; and Mr. Wright, ibid. p. 580.
\ Medical Examiner, May 30, 1840, p. 348'
CREASOTON.
183
immediately and eagerly embraced, numerous trials were in-
stituted with it, the results of which were by no means accordant.
Reich* affirmed, that he gave it both in laryngeal and tubercular
phthisis with distinguished success. In a case in which the dis-
ease appeared to be considerably advanced, the offensive expec-
toration was changed into one of a tasteless, mucous character,
although the fever and the night sweats experienced no modifica-
tion. Subsequently, haemoptysis supervened, with violent fever;
on which account the dose of creasote was diminished. Under
the use of the remedy the condition of the patient appeared to
improve,—except the cough, which was not mitigated; an ano-
dyne was consequently substituted for the creasote; under which,
his patient—a female—improved so much, that Reich was led to
believe she might be saved, although the cough still remained
severe and frequent. In another case, the creasote allayed the
hectic fever, and transformed the purulent expectoration into one
of a mucous character; yet, although the general condition of the
patient seemed to be improved, the cough and uneasiness of the
chest continued almost unchanged. Grandjean also had a case
of phthisis in the third stage, the expectoration of which was soon
diminished; the pain in the side removed; the appetite, sleep, and
strength restored, under the administration of creasote; but the
result of the case is not known. Levrat asserts, that he found
creasote highly useful in chronic bronchitis, and in some kinds of
phthisis. Hechenberger saw good effects from the inhalation of
creasote in the form of vapour in a case of ulcerated lungs; five,
ten, or fifteen drops of creasote, according to the degree of
tolerance of the lungs, being dropped into hot water in an appro-
priate vessel, and the vapour received through the tube of an in-
verted funnel. Hechenberger was of opinion, that this mode of
exhibiting creasote prevented the disagreeable effects apt to be
induced by its internal use; and farther experiments have confirmed
his view. In the chronic mucous affections of the lungs of old
people it appears to have been especially useful. On the other
hand, Elliotsonf derived no favourable results from his trials with
creasote in phthisis; even inhalation of the vapour was generally
unattended with any advantage; yet, he is of opinion that it may
be useful where there are only one or two ulcers in the lungs, and
there is no tendency to their farther production, as well as where
there is much secretion from the bronchial mucous membrane.
Either no advantage, or an injurious influence was derived from
its use in phthisis, by Rehfeld, Haupt, Treumann, Gunther, Sch-
malz, Meisinger, Otto, Kohler,J and others.
* Hufeland's Journal, Jan. 1834; ami Revue Medicale, Mai, 1834.
f Medico-Chirurg. Transact, xix. 221; Lond. 1835.
X Heckcr's neuen wissenschaft. Anna!. B. i. H. 3.
184
CREASOTON.
The published experiments by Wolff, in the Charite at Berlin,
cannot be esteemed more favourable. It was tried in eleven cases
of phthisis tuberculosa, of which one was in the first, eight were
in the second, and two in the third stage. In two cases, there was
scarcely any advantage after the remedy had been given for four-
teen days. In one case, it had to be discontinued on the eleventh
day, owing to the supervention of obstinate vomiting. The case
ultimately terminated unfavourably. In six cases, the symp-
toms appeared to be aggravated, and the patients died soon after-
wards. In two cases,inwhich the disease was in its second stase,
death supervened unexpectedly early, on the fourth and seventh
day of the treatment,—in one case by suffocation; in the other,
by sudden hydrothorax. The pulse, according to Wolff, was ge-
nerally increased under its use; the hectic augmented; the urinary
secretion diminished ; the expectoration neither changed in quan-
tity nor quality; the cough not mitigated; or the dyspnoea dimin-
isbed: on the other hand, they were in four cases, manifestly in-
creased: once epistaxis occurred, and twice haemoptysis.
From the results of all his trials, Wolff is disposed to think, that
creasote should be banished from our list of agents employed in
phthisis; both as respects the radical and the palliative treat-
ment;* but although they may not sanction us in placing much
value on creasote in the treatment of phthisis, it may be improper
to ostracise it altogether^ as according to the testimony of others
it would seem to have rendered essential service. Rampold and
Spath assert, that they have derived advantage from it in con-
firmed phthisis where no inflammatory complication was present;
the expectoration and colliquative sweats being diminished under
its use.
M. PetrequinJ from his trials with it considered its effects to be
more beneficial—as might be presumed—in incipient than in con-
firmed phthisis; but in no case did he observe any thing approach-
ing the radical cures described by some. He indeed o-ives the pre-
ference to the tar water, (see Aqua Picea.)
15. In bronchorrhea or that state of the bronchial mucous
membrane, which consists in a profuse secretion without inflam-
mation, the inhalation of creasote has been found of essential
service.^
16. Rheumatism and Gout.—The success, Obtained by Reichll
from a tincture of soot in gouty and rheumatic affections, and the
Mll^ jK
Used in cases of phagedenic ulceration, and to chancres; ap-
plied by means of a camel's hair pencil. Shortt.*
Unguentum Creasoti.
Ointment of Creasote.
R. Cerati,
01. amygdal. dulc. aa. 5j.
Creasot. gtt. xxx. M.
A dressing in scrofulous caries. Fremanger.
The Unguentum Creasoti of the London Pharmacopoeia is
composed of half a fluidram of creasote to an ounce of lard.f
Linimentum Creasoti.
Liniment of Creasote.
R. Creasot. gtt. v. — xx.
01. olivar. 5ss. M.
To be rubbed two or three times a day on the diseased parts,
in chronic herpes. Corneliani.
CUBEB.E.
Synonymes. Piper Cubeba, P. Cubebarum, P. Caudatum, Cubebs.
French. Poivre a queue, Cubebe.
German. Kubebenpfeffer, Schwanzpfeffer.
Cubebs are the fruit of the piper cubeba, which grows in India,
Java, Guinea, &c. Sex. System, Diandria Trygynia; Nat. Ord.
Piperacese. The corns of this plant have been long known in the
shops; and in the old Wirtemberg Pharmacopoeia, they figure as
calefacient, inciting, discutient, antinervous, and carminative
agents, which seem to have a specific action in vertigo; hence
they obtained the name " Schwindelkdrner " or " grains for ver-
tigo." They had however fallen into oblivion, until they were
re-introduced in modern times into practice, especially by the
English physicians and surgeons.
The shell of. the dried berry has a weak taste, but smells agree-
ably; the kernel has a bitter aromatic flavour which is biting at
* Cormack, Op. cit. p. 112.
t Brande, Op. cit. p. 202.
CUBEBA.
191
first, but afterwards cooling. The corns were analysed by
Trommsdorf and by Vauquelin;* but the most recent analysis is
by Monheim.t He found, in 100 parts, of lignin 65, of extrac-
tive matter 6, of Kubebin 4.5, of a matter like wax 3, of green
volatile oil 2.5; of yellow volatile oil 1.0, of balsamic resin—
which, according to Vauquelin, is very analogous to the balsam
of copaiba—1.5, of chloride of sodium 1.0, and 15.5 parts
lost. The woody matter reduced to ashes contained much car-
bonate and muriate of potassa and soda. The kubebin appeared
to Monheim to be identical with the piperine, but to be united
with an acrid soft resin. ,
The volatile oil may be obtained separate by distillation with
water.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
In addition to the general excitant properties of the peppers, the
action of cubebs is exhibited on the urinary and genital organs.
Under their use, the secretion of urine is augmented, and it becomes
of a darker colour, and assumes an aromatic odour. Cubebs have
been advised, in modern times—first, in cases of gonorrhea, m
which they have been esteemed a specific by many. Yet that
which applies to the copaiba is equally applicable to the cubebs.
Although the revulsive effect induced by both on the kidneys may
mitigate the imflammatory condition of the lining membrane of the
urethra, which constitutes gonorrhoea—in violent inflammatory
cases, and in the early stages of ordinary cases, they may be inju-
rious, and there are many cases on record in which bad conse-
quences appear to have resulted from their improper administra-
tion. Still, there are many physicians who administer both them
and the copaiba in every stage of the disease. Of 50 patients,
treated by Mr. BroughtonJ by the cubebs, 10 were cured in from
2 to 7 days ; 17 in from 8 to 14 ; 18 in from 15 to 21 ; 1 on the
55th day; and in 4 only was no success obtained.
In the chronic stage of gonorrhoea, M. Ricord§ prescribes the
cubebs in combination with the peroxide of iron, and in addition
the patient is directed to inject, four times a day, a solution com-
posed of aq. destillat. ^viij. argent, nitrat. gr. ij.
It has been affirmed, that different evils have ensued from the
use of cubebs; which ought to suggest care in their administra-
* Memoir, du Museum, vi. 225.
f Journal de Pharmacie, xx. 403.
X Medico-Chirurgical Transactions, xii. 1. Lond. 1822.
§ La Lancette Franchise, No. 33. Paris, 1838.
192
CUBEBA.
tion: for example,—ardor urinae, fever, inflammation of the ure-
thra, bladder and testicles, retention of urine, cutaneous eruptions
&c* r
In the blennorrhea of females the cubebs are equally extolled
by many practitioners, as well as in leucorrhea.f Secondly. Spitta
found them very efficacious in old and obstinate cases of coryza
when given in the form of lozenges: they are said, likewise, to
have been administered with advantage in defective audition
caused by a catarrhal affection of the Eustachina tube. Thirdly.
Rosen found the chewing of cubebs very serviceable in cases of
aphonia. Fourthly. They have been prescribed successfully in
cases of chronic rheumatism. Fifthly. PulJ gave them with striking
advantage in intermittent fever. Sixthly. In India, they are re^
garded to be aphrodisiac.§
According to Dr. Paris, it is important to keep the bowels open
during their use, for when hardened fasces are allowed to accumu-
late, the spice insinuates itself into the mass, and occasions exco-
riations in the rectum.||
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
Cubebs are commonly given in the form of powder, and in doses
of from 1 to 2 and even 4 drams, repeated once or oftener in the
day. Lozenges, boluses, and electuaries, are likewise prepared
of them; and the London and Dublin Colleges have a Tinctura
Cubeba (cubeb. ^iv. sp. tenuior. Oij. Dosef.^i.—3ij.) In conse-
quence of the disorder at times induced by them in the digestive
function, Velpeau proposed that they should be given in the form
of glyster, to the amount of one or two drams of the powder, sus-
pended m five or six ounces of an oily vehicle, and this method
has its advantages.^ To attain the same object, M.Dublanc, Junr.,
prepared an oleo-resinous extract, one-sixteenth part of the weight
of which possessed equal virtues with one part of the cubebs; five
grains, three times a day, acting like the ordinary quantity of the
powdered cubebs.**
The volatile oil is sometimes given in the dose of 10 or 12
drops, suspended in water by the aid of sugar.
* Lond. Med. and Physical Journal, Mar. 1832, and Merat & De Lens, Diet.
Umvers. de Mature Med.cale, &c. Art. Piper Cubeba
f Eclmb. Med. and Surg. Journal, xviii. 319. Blundell, Diseases of Women,
p.loS. Lone.; or Dunghson s American Medical Library Edition. Philad.
1840 ; alBo, Lisfranc by Pauly, translated by Lodge, p. 243. Boston, 1839.
X Recueil de MeU Chirurg. et Pharm. Militaire, xvi
§ Merat & De Lens, Art. cit.
II Brande, Dictionary of Materia Medica, p. 205. Lond. 1839
IT Archives Generates de Medecine, xiii. 47.
** Journ. de Chimie Medicale, iii. 491, and Journ. de Pharmacie. xiv, 40.
CUBEBiE. 193
Pulvis Cubebarum Compositus.
Compound Powder of Cubebs.
R. Piperis cubebse pulv. 5i.
Ergotae pulveris, tss.
Pulv. cinnam. comp. 9ij.
Sacchari purificati 3j.
Divide in chartulas viij.
Dose.—One, three, or four times a day in gonorrhoea, leucor-
rhcea, gleet, prostatic and involuntary seminal discharges.
Ryan.*
Electuarium Cubebarum.
Electuary of Cubebs.
R. Piper cubeb. pulv. ^ss.
Mellis despum. q. s.
Fiat electuarium
Dose.—A tea-spoonful three or four times a day, in catarrhus
vesicas, c.urethrae, &c. Radius.
R. Balsam, cepaib. 5ivss.
Subige cum
Vitello ovi unius, et
Adde
Pulv. cubebar, Jivss.
Conserv. rosar. ^ss.
M. fiat electuarium.
Dose.—A tea-spoonful three or four times a day. Vogt,
R. Balsam, copaib.
Pulv. cubeb. aa. ^ij.
Aluminis, jj.
Extract, opii, gr. v. M.
Dose—A dram night and morning in the pulp of a prune. The
quantity may be rapidly increased to two drams morning and
evening.
* Universal Pharmacopoeia, or a Practical Formulary of Hospitals, both Bri-
tish and Foreign, by Michael Ryan, M. D. &c. &c. 3d edit. p. 160. London,
1839- n*
194
cubeba: .
Trochisci Cubebarum.
Lozenges of Cubebs.
R. Pulv. cubeb. 5U
Balsam, tolut. gr. vj.
Admisce
Syr. balsam, peruv.
Succ. glycyrr. aa. 5j.
Gum. arabic. q. s. ut fiat massa in trochiscos pond. gr. x. dividenda.
Used in coryza. S pitta.
Boli Cubebarum.
Boluses of Cubebs.
R. Balsam, copaib.
Gum. arab. pulv. aa. qIJ.
Aquae flor. aurant. ^ij.
Terendo bene mixtis adde
Cubebar. pulv. Jij.
Misce, et fiant boli No. vj.
Dose—One, three times a day. Henschel.
M. Labelonye* has recently proposed the following method for
separating all the principles of tbe cubebs from the ligneous matter.
The cubebs, reduced to a coarse powder, are placed in an ap-
paratus for displacement and exhausted by ether, which dissolves
the wax, volatile oils and balsamic resin. The residue is submitted
to the action of hydro-alcohol at 20° (.935,) which dissolves the
extractive principle and chloride of sodium. The alcohol and
ether are separated by distillation in part, and separately. Evapo-
ration of the hydro-alcoholic solution is then carried on in a water
bath until it possesses the consistence of a soft extract, to which
the ethereal product is added; the evaporation being continued for
a short time, the ether is completely volatilised, and a strongly
aromatic extract is obtained, as consistent as honey. This it is
improper to subject any longer to the action of heat, on account
of the contained volatile oils; the presence of which in all cases
interferes with complete desiccation. One part of this extract is
conceived to be equal to five of the cubebs.
This extract can be readily mixed with water by means of mu-
cilage, and can be administered in potions, injections, &c.
* Bulletin General de Therapeutique, and Amer. Journ. of Pharm. 2d series,
vol. 2. p. 316. Philad. 1837.
CUBEBjE.
195
The best form of exhibition, according to M. Labelonye, is in
lozenges, or in an emulsive syrup.
Trochisci Extracti hydro-alcoholici atherei Cubebarum.
Lozenges of the ethereal hydro-alcoholic Extract of Cubebs.
R. Ext. hydro-alcohol, aether, cubebar. ^viij.
Alcohol, Oij.
Solve et adde
Sacchar. alb. in pulv. ten. fbj.
01. menthae pip. gtt. xviij.
Pour the mixture into flat vessels upon a stove, and allow the
alcohol to evaporate at a moderate heat. When the mass is com-
pletely desiccated, reduce it to a fine powder, and add a sufficient
quantity of mucilage of gum tragacanth to form lozenges—18,12,
9, or 6 grains each. Most persons, he says, can swallow with
facility those weighing eighteen grains, and containing six grains
of the extract; ten of these are equivalent to half an ounce of the
powder.
Syrupus Extracti hydro-alcoholici atherei Cubebarum.
Syrup of the ethereal hydro-alcoholic Extract of Cubebs:
R. Ext. hydro-alcohol, aether, cubebar. ^iij.
Suspende ope mucilaginis in
Aq. menthae pip. fKj-
Adde
Sacchar. alb. ffcij. M.
Four ounces of this syrup contain two drams of extract, equi-
valent to ten of powdered cubebs.
Dose.—A tea-spoonful.
M. Labelonye envelopes the extract also in sugar, as in the or-
dinary sugar-plumb.
196
DELPHININA.
DELPHININA.
Synonymes. Delpbinia, Delphininum, Delphininium, Delphium, Delphia, Del-
phinine, Delphine.
German. Delphinin.
This alkaloid was discovered in 1819, by MM. Feneulle and
Lassaigne,* and, almost at the same time, by Brandes,f in
the seeds of the Delphinium Slaphisagria, in which it is united
with acetic acid. As a therapeutical agent, it has been chiefly
recommended by Turnbull; but he did not employ it in its pure
state.
METHOD OF PE.EPARING.
The plan recommended by MagendieJ is to boil a portion of
the seeds of the delphinium, cleared of their coverings, and re-
duced to a fine paste, in a little distilled water; to pass the de-
coction through a linen cloth and filter. Pure magnesia is now
added, and it is boiled for some minutes; the filtration is repeated;
and the residues washed carefully and digested in highly rectified
alcohol. On evaporating the alcoholic tincture, the delphinine
is obtained in the form of a white powder, having some crystal-
lised points.
This is esteemed the most simple mode; but if a large quantity
be required, the following plan is advised—on account of the time
and patience necessary to decorticate the seeds.
Submit the unclean seeds, when well bruised, to the action of
weak sulphuric acid. Precipitate the liquor by ammonia, and re-
dissolve in alcohol the delphinine, which is still slightly coloured.
To purify it, draw off the alcohol by distillation, dissolve the resi-
duum in muriatic acid, and boil with magnesia.
The plan recommended by Couerbe, and adopted by Turnbull,§
is to evaporate a saturated tincture of the seeds to the consistence
of a thin extract, and then to treat it with water acidulated by
sulphuric acid. This solution, when filtered, is to be precipitated
by ammonia. The precipitate—after being freed from its water
—is to be taken up with alcohol, and again reduced to the con-
* Annales de Chimie, torn. xi. xii., and Journal de Pharmacie, vi. 47 and
366.
f Schweigger's Journal der Chimie, xxv. 369.
X Formulaire, &c.
5 On the Medical Properties of the Natural Order Ranunculacese/chapter 2.
Lond. 1835. r
DELPHININA.
197
sistence of an extract, which is likewise to be dissolved in acidu-
lated water; to this solution, filtered, a small quantity of nitric
acid is to be added, as long as any precipitate is thrown down.
The liquid, freed from this precipitate, is again to be subjected to
precipitation by ammonia, and the powder dried. This is the
delphinine of commerce; but like veratrine, it is a compound sub-
stance, and consists of resinous matter, staphysagrine and delphin-
ine; the delphinine is obtained by treating the powder with ether,
which takes up the delphinine, and leaves the staphysagrine.
When in a state of purity, delphinine is white, pulverulent, and
devoid of smell; but like veratrine, when applied to the mucous
membrane of the nose, it occasions sneezing, along with an abun-
dant secretion of mucus. Its taste is at first bitter, and after-
wards acrid, and it acts upon animals in the same manner as—
but more energetically than—the seeds whence it is prepared. It
is very sparingly soluble in water, but yet in sufficient quantity
to communicate a bitter taste to the fluid. In alcohol and ether
it dissolves readily, and these solutions have the property of ren-
dering syrup of violets green, and of restoring the blue colour of
litmus, when reddened by acids. It combines readily with acids,
and forms neutral salts, which are possessed of much bitterness
and acridity, and it may be precipitated from solutions of these
in the form of a jelly by the addition of an alkali.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
From the experiments of Orfila* with this substance, it appears
to belong to the class of acro-narcotic poisons. In the dose of
about five grains it proves fatal to dogs; and the fatal result is
more speedily induced when the delphinine is dissolved in weak
acetic acid; the animal, in the latter case, dies in the space of
from forty to fifty minutes. When diffused through water intro-
duced into the stomach of a dog, and retained there by a ligature
placed around the gullet, efforts to vomit supervened, with rest-
lessness, giddiness, immobility, slight convulsions, and death in
two or three hours. In this case the mucous membrane of the
stomach was generally found injected.
From his administration of delphinine and its salts, Turnbull
concludes, that the pure alkaloid has little effect on the mucous
membrane of the stomach and bowels. It may be given, he says,
in some cases, to the extent of three or four grains a day, in doses
of half a grain each, without exciting vomiting; in this quantity,
however, it sometimes operates upon the bowels, but causes very
* Nouveau Journal de M£d. x.; and Toxicologie Gen. i. 739.
198
DELPHININA.
little irritation. In most instances, it acts as a diuretic, and occa-
sions a considerable flow of pale urine. When taken to the ex-
tent of a few grains, it induces heat and tingling in various parts of
the body, similar to those produced by rubbing it upon the skin;
and its other effects are very nearly the same as those of the salts
of veratrine.
The preparations of delphinine have been used in the same
diseases as those of veratrine, and they appear to exert a similar
action: the test laid down by Turnbull, in the case of the veratrine,
applies equally to the delphinine;—namely, unless a solution of
delphinine in alcohol, in the proportion of four grains to a dram,
occasions a distinct sensation of heat and pricking, when rubbed
for three or four minutes on the forehead, the specimen ought not
to be used, as no beneficial effect would arise from its application.
When rubbed upon the skin, it gives rise to a sensation of burn-
ing, not unlike that which manifests itself a short time after the
application of a blister, but not to an unpleasant degree, unless
the friction has been carried too far. The effects of the delphi-
nine differ also from those of the veratrine in being generally
more powerful and durable.
The diseases in which the delphinine has been chiefly used, like
the veratrine, are—tic douloureux, paralysis, and rheumatism.
In the first of these, when the affection is seated in the tongue, or
at the point where the infra-orbitar nerve escapes from its fora-
men, the use of delphinine, according to Turnbull, is to be pre-
ferred, because it can be applied to the tongue, or rubbed on the
gums, without occasioning irritation of the mucous membrane.
He thinks it, also, upon the whole, better adapted for the treat-
ment of paralytic cases than veratrine, but principally on account
of the property it has "of exciting the circulation in the diseased
part."
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The manner of applying delphinine is the same as that recom-
mended for veratrine. It may be used either in the form of oint-
ment or in solution in alcohol; and the propordons to be employed,
in either case, may vary from ten to thirty or more grains to the
ounce, according to the severity of the affection, for the treatment
of which it is prescribed. The duration of the friction should
also be the same, or until the pungent sensation, produced by the
rubbing, exhibits itself.
DELPHININA.
199
DIOSMA CRENATA, (FOLIA.)
Synonymes.—Barosma Crenata, (folia;) Agothosma Crenatum (folia;) Boc-
choe, Bocho, Boocho, Buchu Leaves.
German.—Buccublatter; Duftstrauchblalter.
This plant is indigenous at the Cape of Good Hope. It belongs
to the natural family Rutaceee; class Pentandria, order Mono-
gynia.
The smell of the leaves is penetrating and peculiar, but re-
sembling that of rue and camphor. By some, it has been com-
pared to that of the oil of juniper. The name appears to be de-
rived from the smell,—$10$, " divine," and ««-a"?, " odour." The
taste of the leaves is aromatic, somewhat pungent, and, in the opi-
nion of Buchner, resembling that of peppermint; without any par-
ticular bitterness, yet disagreeable. According to the analysis of
Buchner, the most important constituents appear to be a volatile
oil of a greenish yellow colour, a peculiar principle—diosmine,
and a semi-resinous substance. The diosmine is a very tenacious
adhesive matter, similar to the Peruvian balsam, and can be
drawn out in fine threads. It has the same smell as the leaves,
only somewhat weaker; the taste is pungent and bitter. The
semi-resinous matter has a resinous lustre; is of a dark brown co-
lour, becomes fluid when heated, and burns with a flame. Its
odour is not remarkable: the taste is somewhat pungent and
sourish.*
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN HEALTH.
The Hottentots have long used the leaves of several varieties
of diosma both internally and externally; but they give the pre-
ference to the diosma crenata. Through them its virtues became
known to the European settlers. It was first brought to the no-
tice of British practitioners by the notorious Richard Reece, who
is more known for the part he took in the farce of Joanna South-
coat than for any thing else. In Germany, it was chiefly promul-
gated by Jobst, who published an extract from Reece's observa-
tions in the Repertorium of Buchner.f
Bardili instituted experiments for testing the action of the remedy
* See Journal de Chimie Medicale, iii. 13, and Journal de Pharmacie, xiii.
106.
t Band. xxii. S. 51.
200
DIOSMA CRENATA.
on the healthy organism. It first acts as an excitant on the sto-
mach, whence arises a feeling of increased heat in that organ,
and the appetite becomes augmented; from the stomach, the ex-
citement spreads to the vascular system; the heat of the body is
increased; the pulse becomes more frequent, and the transpiration
is favoured. It acts, likewise, on the urinary secretion; the urine
is separated in larger quantity, contains flocculi, deposites a pu-
rulent (?) sediment, and exhales an aromatic odour. On the di-
gestive function, it seems to produce somewhat of a constipating
effect. Bardili thinks, that he has also witnessed some narcotic
operation in his experiments.
The same results were produced by the diosma on animals.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
The inhabitants of the Cape administer this agent as a sto-
machic, and the Dutch physicians give it with success in indiges-
tion. It is said, also, to have afforded essential service in chronic
cases of rheumatism and arthritis. Autenrieth extols it in rheu-
matic pains, which have had their foundation in repelled itch;
and its utility in chronic rheumatism has been confirmed by Jack-
son and others. It has been extolled, moreover, in hamaturia,
calculous pains, and in irritated and suppurative conditions of the
bladder, urethra, and prostate. We have repeatedly administered
it, but have observed no other effects than those of a moderate
excitant and tonic. Reece found it efficacious in incontinence of
urine, and in catarrhus vesica; and he gave it—united with tinc-
ture of cubebs—in spasmodic stricture of the urethra, gonorrhoea,
swelling of the prostate, and impotence.
By the inhabitants of the Cape of Good Hope, the buchu leaves
are often applied externally, both in the form of liniment and of
baths, in luxations and rheumatic pains,—as well as of fomenta-
tions and cataplasms, in wounds, especially the contused.
It may be remarked, that this—like almost every similar remedy
—has been given in cholera; and the Riga physicians assert, fre-
quently with favourable results.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The dose of the powder is 3ij in the day; this, at least, is the
common dose at the Cape. The infusion necessarily contains
more of the volatile oil than the decoction; but, on the other hand,
the latter has more of the diosmine: as respects their action, how-
ever, there is not much difference. A vinegar, oxymel, liniment,
extract, and tincture of the diosma have been advised.
The London and Dublin Pharmacopoeia have an infusum Dios-
ma seu buchu, (§ss of the leaves to foss 0f water Dubl.;) dose
ELECTROPUNCTURA. 201
5iss: and the Dublin a tinctura buchu (§ij of the leaves to foj of
proof spirit;) dose %i] or 3UJ.
Infusum Diosma Crenata Compositum.
Compound Infusion of Buchu.
R. Fol. diosm. crenat.
----uvae ursi, aa. ±ss.
Aq. fervid. 5viij.
Digere leni calore in vase clauso per semihoram. Colaturae adde
Syrup, seneg. 5ss.
Dose—One or two spoonfuls every two hours, in blennorrhcea,
and in atony and paralysis of the bladder. Clarus.
R. Infus. Diosmae crenatae ^vij.
Tinct. Diosmae
----Cubebae aa. ^iv. M.
Dose.—Two table spoonfuls three times a day. This formula
is recommended by Dr. Joy* " in chronic diseases of the prostate,
bladder, and kidneys, gravel, &c," as if the pathological condi-
tion to be rectified were, in all these cases, identical! (See page
130.)
ELECTROPUNCTURA.
Synonymes.—Electropuncture.
This consists in a union of acupuncturation with electricity.
The idea of the conjunction appears to have originated with Ber-
lioz ; but Sarlandiere was, doubtless, the first who put it in prac-
tice, although J. Cloquet has contested the priority with him—a
matter, by the way, as in all such cases, of extremely small mo-
ment. The operation consists in employing acupuncturation in
the usual way, either with a single needle, or with two or more;
and making a communication between them and the prime con-
ductor of an electrical machine; or they may be made to form
part of the circuit in the discharge of a Leyden jar. In this way,
the electrical influence may be graduated from the simple aura to
* Tweedie's Library of Medicine, v. 311. Lond. 1840.
18
202
ELECTROPUNCTURA.
a full shock. Sarlandiere appears to have employed electropunc-
ture with great success, but he restricts its use to rheumatic or
neuralgic pains, uncomplicated with organic mischief or inflam-
mation: when such complications exist, he advises blood-letting
and general antiphlogistics to be premised.*
Guersent thinks it better, in all these cases, to use simple acu-
puncturation, and only to employ electropuncture, when the first
proves to be inadequate, as in paralysis, and in tremors produced
by the immoderate use of mercury;—in all cases, indeed, in which
the malady depends on a diminution of the nervous energy. A
case of success from its use, in paralysis of the right arm, in which
voluntary motion and sensibility were destroyed, has been recent-
ly published.f The patient was, in the first instance, subjected
to the use of blisters and moxas along the course of the radial
nerve, from which he obtained some advantage. The remedy
which succeeded best, however, was electropuncture along the
nerves from the shoulder to the hand. At first, the punctures
were but little felt, but afterwards they were very painful. The
sensibility, mobility, and strength of the fingers and hand gradu-
ally returned; and, three months after his admission, the patient
left the hospital completely cured.
Magendie affirms, that he has treated many cases of incom-
plete amaurosis with great success by this agency. He employed
it, however, in the form of what has been more* properly termed
galvanopuncture; by fixing a needle in the frontal nerve, and an-
other in the superior maxillary, and making these communicate
respectively with the poles of a galvanic pile of twelve pairs of
plates, each six inches square. Whenever the contact was made,
the patient experienced a painful commotion in the course of the
nerves, and at the bottom of the orbit; the light became better
appreciated, and the pupil contracted.
We have frequently used both electropuncture and galvano-
puncture in rheumatic and neuralgic affections; but do not think
the advantages were more marked than those of simple acu-
puncture, whilst the suffering from the operation was certainly
greater. J
In cases of asphyxia, galvanopuncture has been proposed to
arouse the dormant energies. The effect of electricity, in the
different forms in which it is adopted in medicine, on the func-
tions of sensibility and muscular contraction, could not fail to sug-
gest it early to observers as a fit agent for this purpose; but it is
rarely at hand, and, therefore, seldom available. J. P. Frank,
Wiss'en^. 550. H£ff ST' " ^^ ^^ *" mediCiniSCb"
OclYe^STp6 2r5.nS°iSe' DeC'2°'1836; and American M*d. Intelligencer,
ELECTROPUNCTURA.
203
Thillaye,* and others have highly recommended it;—the latter
gentleman, on the strength of numerous experiments on animals.
As the object, in these cases, is to arouse the respiratory muscles
to action, the electric shock may be passed through the shoulders
or the chest in any direction. Neither common nor galvanic
electricity is possessed of any power to restore the action of the
involuntary muscles. We have frequently attempted to re-excite
the action of the heart, intestines, fibres of the uterus, &c. soon
after the cessation of respiration and circulation, by means of the
galvanic stimulus, but without the slightest success, although the
voluntary muscles responded to it energetically. Besides, were
the action of the heart re-excited by it, this could be but momen-
tary. A necessary stimulating agency to that viscus is disten-
sion by the proper fluid, and unless the respiratory movements
were restored, and conversion of venous to arterial blood effected,
so that the latter could reach the left heart, the action of that or-
gan could not be maintained. Every attempt, therefore, is pro-
perly made to restore the action of the respiratory muscles, so that
haematosis may be accomplished.!
M. Leroy d'EtiolesJ has suggested galvanopuncture in a man-
ner which, at the first aspect, appears most formidable; but which
is really less so than it seems to be, in consequence of the impu-
nity with which fine needles can be made to penetrate, as we have
seen,§ even the most important organs. He introduced an acu-
puncture needle on each side between the eighth and ninth rib,
until it reached the fibres of the diaphragm. He then established
a galvanic current between the needles by means of a pile of
twenty-five or thirty pairs of plates, an inch in diameter. The
diaphragm immediately contracted, and an inspiration was ac-
complished. He then interrupted the circle, when the diaphragm,
urged by the weight of the abdominal viscera, and aided by gen-
tle pressure made on the abdomen by the hand, returned to its
former position, and an expiration was effected. In this way, the
two respiratorv acts were made to succeed each other, and regu-
lar respiration was reinduced. A continuous current was like-
wise emploved in some cases, but the respiratory movements were
irregular, and nothing like natural respiration resulted.
Leroy tried his method on animals asphyxied by submersion,
* Archives Generates de Medecine, xii.
f Art. Asphyxia, by the author, in the American Cyclopedia of Practical Me-
dicine, part x. p. 486, Sept. 1836.
X Magendie's Journal de Physiologie, torn. vii. 1827; torn. viii. and torn, ix.;
also, Recherches Expe>imentales sur I'Asphyxie, Paris, 1829; and Bourgeois,
Observations sur la possibility du retour a la vie dans plusieurs casd'Asphyxie.
Paris, 1829.
5 See Art. Acupuncture.
204
EMETINA.
and when they had not been under water more than five minutes,
they were often restored.
These experiments were witnessed by Magendie.* On differ-
ent occasions, M. Leroy asphyxied animals of the same kind, and
apparently of the same strength, and whilst those that were left
to themselves perished, those that were treated by galvanism re-
covered.
As an aid, therefore, to pulmonary insufflation, and an import-
ant one, galvanism, combined or not with acupuncturation, might
be advantageously employed in asphyxia, but as has been already
remarked, it can rarely be available. Certainly no time should
be lost in adopting the other energetic and indispensable measures
that are demanded.f It has been recommended, that as only a
very small apparatus is necessary, batteries, consisting of a few
plates, might be kept wherever there are station-houses for the
reception of persons in a state of asphyxia.J The suggestion is
good; and they might also with propriety form a part of the
cabinet of apparatus of the private practitioner; but whilst an as-
sistant is preparing the apparatus for action, the practitioner
should be assiduously engaged in applying other means of resus-
citation.§
EMETINA.
Synonymes. Emetia, Emeta, Emetinum, Emetine.
German.—Emetin, Brechstoff. •
In the year 1817, MM. Pelletier and Magendie,|| byl series of
chemical and physiological experiments, discovered, that the va-
rious kinds of ipecacuanha are indebted for their emetic proper-
ties to a peculiar substance to which they gave the name
Emetine.
This substance possesses the emetic power in a very concen-
trated state, and has neither the disagreeable smell, nor the nau-
* Journal de Physiologie, ix.
t See Art. Asphyxia, Op. cit. p. 486.
X Kay, in Edinb. Med. and Surg. Journ. xxix. and in his work on Asphyxia.
Lond. 1834.
§ See Most, Art. Galvanismus, in Encyklopad. der gesammten medicin. und
chirurgisch. Praxis, u. s. w. 2te Auflage. Leipz. 1836.
II Journal de Pharmacie, iii. 145, and Magendie's Formulaire pour la prepa-
ration de plusieurs nouveaux medicamens, &c.
EMETINA.
205
seous taste of the ipecacuanha. They considered, therefore, that
it mio-ht be advantageously substituted for ipecacuanha on all oc-
casions.'
There are two varieties of the active principle—the coloured
and the pure, which, as Magendie remarks,* bear the same rela-
tion to each other as moist sugar does to the white and crystal-
lised. Ipecacuanha, derived from the cephaelis ipecacuanha,
contains the most emetine.
Emetine has been received into many of the Pharmacopoeias,
as the Parisian, Batavian, Hannoverian, &c.
MODE OF PREPARING.
1. Coloured Emetine.—Powdered ipecacuanha is digested with
ether at 60° (.720) to dissolve the fatty matter, whence it de-
rives its disagreeable odour, and which possesses no emetic vir-
tue. When the powder yields nothing more to the ether, it is ex-
hausted by means of alcohol: the alcohol is then evaporated in a
water-bath, and the residue is dissolved in cold water. It thus
loses some of the wax, and a little fatty matter, which still ad-
hered to it; it is then only necessary to mix it with the carbonate
of magnesia, whereby it loses its gallic acid,—to redissolve it in
alcohol, and to evaporate to dryness.
By a similar process, M. Boullay obtained from the roots,
leaves, flowers, and seeds of the viola odorata, an active, alkaline,
bitter and acrid principle, similar to emetine from ipecacuanha,
which he denominates emetine of the violet, indigenous emetine or
violine. According to Orfila, it possesses highly poisonous quali-
ties.f
2. Pure emetine.—-This is obtained by substituting calcined
magnesia, for the carbonate used in the process just described, in
such quantity, that the acid existing in the liquid may be neutral-
ised, and that which is associated with the emetine be separated
from it.
The precipitate of magnesia and emetine must now be washed
with a little very cold water, to remove the colouring matter,
which is not combined with the magnesia; and after being care-
fully dried it must be treated with alcohol, which dissolves the
emetine. The emetine, obtained by the evaporation of the alco-
hol, must then be dissolved in a dilute acid, and treated with pure
animal charcoal. After this purification, the emetine must be
precipitated by a salifiable base.
The waters, used to wash the magnesian precipitate, still con-
* Op. cit.
f Journal de Pharmacie, Janvier, 1824.
18*
206
EMETINA.
tain emetine, which may be separated by a second series of opera-
tions.
Coloured emetine appears in the form of reddish brown, trans-
parent scales; is almost inodorous, and of a bitter, but not nau-
seous taste. It can withstand the heat of boiling water without
experiencing change; is very deliquescent, soluble in water, and
not crystallisable.
Pure emetine has a white and frequently a somewhat yellowish
appearance; is pulverulent, and does not deliquesce, like the for-
mer, in the air. In cold water, it is but little soluble; more so in
warm.* In ether and alcohol it dissolves readily. Its taste is
feebly bitter. It has an alkaline reaction, is dissolved by all the
acids—diminishing their acidity, but without wholly neutralising
them. With the acids it forms crystallisable compounds, from
which it may be precipitated by galls, which are the best agents
for obviating the effects of emetine, when given in too large a
dose.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN HEALTH.
According to Magendie,* from half a grain to two or three
grains of coloured emetine given to dogs and cats, excited vomit-
ing, at times followed by a long sleep. In larger doses, ten grains
for example, it occasioned, in dogs, repeated vomiting, after
which the animal fell asleep, and generally died in twenty-four
hours. On dissection, violent inflammation was found in the
lungs, and in the mucous membrane of the stomach and bowels
throughout their whole extent. The effects were the same when
the emetine was injected into the jugular vein, or absorbed from
any part of the body. In a healthy man, two grains of coloured
emetine, taken fasting, produced repeated vomiting, to which
succeeded decided disposition to sleep. Even a quarter of a grain
at times induced nausea and vomiting. It acted also on the
bowels.
The effects of pure emetine are analogous, but more powerful;
two grains were sufficient to kill a strong dog.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
The same effects are induced on the morbid as on the healthy
economy.
Magendie recommends the administration of the coloured eme-
tine—as the pure is much too dear—in every case where it is
desirable to excite vomiting, and especially where ipecacuanha is
* Op. citat.
EMETINA.
207
indicated. It has not, however, been much used, except by Ma-
gendie himself. Lerminier, who prescribed it, says that one or
two grains of coloured emetine are equal in strength to from ten
to twenty of ipecacuanha; but that he observed no difference in
their operation, and Dr. Domeier* appears to have arrived at the
same results. The obvious advantages it possesses are—the con-
venient and agreeable form under wdiich it may be administered,
and the circumstance, that several spurious sorts of ipecacuanha
are frequently passed off in commerce, and occasion, in conse-
quence, considerable disappointment in the mind of the practi-
tioner. The employment of the active principle of course pre-
cludes these inconveniences.f
Prollius, of Wolfhagen, has frequently administered the pure
emetine, which he recommends as a substitute for ipecacuanha,
on the grounds above mentioned; and he properly adds, that the
price is not a matter of so much moment as it might seem to be
by reason of the very small quantity required to produce the de-
sired effects.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
To produce vomiting, three grains of the coloured emetine may
be dissolved in any vehicle, and given in divided doses, at short
intervals. In several cases, Dr. DomeierJ found one grain amply
sufficient. Of the pure emetine, Magendie found, in a man eighty-
five years of age, one sixteenth of a grain sufficient to induce vo-
miting. He remarks, however, that the man was easily made to
vomit. Prollius found the medium dose of the pure emetine, for
an adult, to be from two sixteenths to three sixteenths of a grain;
sometimes it was requisite to give another sixteenth. Very rarely
was it necessary to give more than four sixteenths, or one fourth
of a grain. As, on account of its sparing solubility, pure emetine,
when given alone, might be restricted in its operation, Prollius
adds an equal portion of tartaric acid and a little sugar.
Mistura Emetina Vomitoria.
Emetic Mixture of Emetine.
R. Emetin. colorat. gr. iv.
Infus. fol. aurant. ^ij.
Syrup, flor. aurant. 5ss. M.
* London Medical Gazette, Sept. 14, 1839, p. 929.
f Clinique Medicale, vol. i. Paris, 1823.
X Op. citat.
208
EMETINA.
Dose.—A dessert-spoonful every half hour,—to excite vomiting.
Any simple distilled water and syrup may be substituted for those
of the orange flowers. . • Magendie.
Pastilli Emetina Pectorales. •
Pectoral Lozenges of Emetine.
R. Emetin. colorat. gr. xxxij.
Sacchar. alb. 5iv.
Mucilag. q. s. ut fiant pastilli, pond. gr. ix, sing.
These lozenges are commonly coloured red, .fo distinguish them
from those of ipecacuanha. A little carmine may be added for
this purpose.
Given incases of catarrh, hooping-cough, chronic diarrhoea, &c.
Dose.—One pastile occasionally. Magendie.
Pastilli Emetina Vomitorii.
Emetic Lozenges of Emetine.
R. Emetin. colorat. gr. xxxij.
Sacch. alb. 5ij.
Mucilag. q. s. ut fiant pastill.. pond. gr. xyiij.
Dose.—One of these lo'zenges taken fasting is generally enough
to make a child vomit: three or four are Required for an adult.
... Magendie.
Mistura Emetina Purificata Vomitoria.
Emetic Mixture of Purified Emetine.
R. Emitin. purif. in pauxil. acid. nitr. solut. gr. j.
Infus. flor. tiliae, ±iij.
Syrup, althseae, 5j. M.
Dose.—A dessert-spoonful to be given every quarter of an hour,
until vomiting is induced. Magendie.
EUPHORBIA LATHYRIS.
209
EUPHORBIA LATHYRIS.
Synonymes.—Cataputia Minor, Lathyris, Tithymalus Latifolius, Caper Spurge,
Garden Spurge, Mole Plant.
The oil of this plant, which is indigenous in France, and is
monoecious, has been recently recommended in medicine. Although
the euphorbia is is not a native of this country, it is sometimes met
with in situations where it has the appearance of growing wild.
It is easily cultivated, and in some parts of New Jersey, where it
has been introduced, is found in abundance.*
The oil, obtained from the seeds, resembles in colour the oleum
ricini, but is less dense. It has no odour when newly prepared,
and no perceptible taste. It is soluble in sulphuric ether, insoluble
in alcohol, and forms a soap with the alkalies. Its s. g. is .920.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
Dr. Charles Calderini found, that, in the dose of from four to
eight drops, it acted as a cathartic on the adult, without occasion-
ing colic or tenesmus. In half the quantity, it proved cathartic to
children. He gave it in sugared water, or in the form of an emul-
sion ; and was of opinion that it might be advantageously substi-
tuted for castor oil, especially for children.
After him, it was employed by M. Grimaud, and subsequently
by M. Bally ,f who carried the dose as far as ten drops.
Louis Frank J has suggested its employment in cases of tania,
hysteralgia, ascites, &c.
It would appear from the remarks of Mr. Scattergood, that the
oil, obtained from the beans grown in this country, does not pos-
sess the mild qualities ascribed to the European article. Six,
eight, ten, and twelve drops were given to several individuals as
a cathartic; and, although administered in conjunction with aro-
matic oils, and in one or two cases with an alkali in the form of
soap, it invariably produced nausea, and even vomiting. Mr.
Scattergood adds, that he has been informed by the manufacturer,
Mr. Thomas Bellangee, of Crosswicks, New Jersey, that when
* Scattergood, in Philad. Journ. of Pharmacy, iv. 124, Philad. 1833. See,
also, Journal de Chimie Medicale, ii. 178.
f Journal Universel des Sciences Medicales, xli. 254.
\ Journal de Pharmacie, xi. 273; and Merat & De Lens, Diet, de Mat. MeU
iii. 183. Paris, 1831.
210 FERRI PRjEPARATA.
administered in small quantities, and repeated at intervals of half
an hour or an hour, it operates on the bowels freely as a cathar-
tic, without producing much nausea.
Pichonnier* has proposed the following formula for a cathartic
mixture.
Mistura Olei Euphorbia.
Mixture of the Oil of Euphorbia.
R. Olei euphorb. lathyr. gtt. viij.
Pulv. gum. arab. 5J«
Sacchar. 5ij.
Aquae destillat. giij . M.
FERRI PR.EPARATA.
Synonymes. Preparations of Iron.
French.—Les Preparations de Fer.
German.—Eisenpraparate.
I. FERRI ARSENIAS.
Synonymes. Ferruni Arseniatum, Ferrum Arsenicicum Oxydulatum.
French.—Arseniate de Fer.
German.—Arsensaures Eisenoxydul, Arseniksaures Eisenoxydul.
This preparation has been recommended by Mr. Carmichael,f
who often applied it externally in cases of cancerous ulcers. Na-
turally, it presents itself in small, clear, bluish green crystals, of a'
regular octaedral shape, and is called scorodite. Artificially, it
is formed by double decomposition.
METHOD'OF PREPARING.
Glaser gives the following formula for its preparation. Eight
ounces of semivitrified white arsenic, sprinkled with a little spirit
* Journal de Chimie Medicale. Paris, 1827.
f An Essay on the effects of the Carbonate and other Preparations of Iron
upon Cancer, 2d edit. Dublin, 1809.
FERRI ARSENIAS.
211
of wine and reduced to fine powder, are mixed with as much pu-
rified saltpetre. The mixture is placed in an uncovered Hessian
crucible, which should only be half filled with it, and then be
placed in a wind furnace. At first, a slight degree of heat is ap-
plied, under which the mass soon melts, giving off copious red
fumes, the inhalation of which should be carefully avoided. The
process had better, therefore, be carried on in the open air, or in
a laboratory that has a chimney with a good draft. When the
mass no longer gives off red fumes, and flows tranquilly, the cru-
cible must be carefully removed from the fire, the contents be
suffered to cool somewhat, and boiling distilled water be poured
upon them: under active boiling they will dissolve altogether.
Hot water, sufficient to fill the crucible, is now added, and the
whole is allowed to remain at rest for twenty-four hours; at the
expiration of which time a considerable quantity of beautiful cry-
stals of acid, arseniate of potassa is found on the sides of the cru-
cible. The fluid, holding the salt in solution, is now filtered into
a clean porcelain or glass vessel; the crystals are collected, dried
carefully in the shade, and put away amongst the poisons as the
Arsenias potassa acidus.
^ The fluid poured from the crystals and filtered is now diluted
with distilled water, and a solution of pure sulphate of iron added
thereto so long as any precipitate is thrown down. The bluish
green precipitate, insoluble in water, is the ferrum arseniatum,
which must be collected on a filter, washed and dried in the shade.
The process must be conducted with the greatest care, and the
vessels used be cautiously cleansed or broken, for fear that mis-
chief may arise. In these chemical operations, the acid of the
saltpetre is decomposed by being heated with the arsenious acid
or white arsenic, a part of its oxygen is taken by the latter, and
arsenic acid is thereby formed, which unites with the potassa of
the saltpetre and forms acid arseniate of potassa; the nitric acid
being converted into nitrous acid is given off in the form of red
fumes: by admixture of a solution of sulphate of iron with the so-
lution of the acid arseniate of potassa, a double decomposition
ensues, the result of which is the formation of sulphate of potassa
and arseniate of iron, which last, being insoluble, falls to the bot-
tom of the vessel.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
According to Carmichael, this preparation acts more power-
fully on the vitality of cancerous formations than any other agent,
and the dead slough caused by it is much deeper than that caused
by the application—which was at one time so much celebrated-
called " Plunket's caustic." He allows, however, that the great-
est caution should be observed in its use. Of late, he has em-
212 FERRI ARSENIAS.
ployed a compound of the arseniate of iron with phosphate of
iron; half a dram of the former to two drams of the latter. This
mixture must be applied very thin by means of a camel's hair
pencil, and not over the whole surface of the ulcer when it is ex-
tensive.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The compound just mentioned may be applied in the form of
ointment, prepared in the following manner:—
Unguentum Ferri Arseniatis Compositum.
Compound Ointment of Arseniate of Iron.
R. Ferri arseniat. zss.
---- phosphat. 3ij-
Ung. cetacei. 3vi. M.
This ointment must be spread on lint and applied to the ulcer.
Werneck gives it the preference over all the usual arsenical pre-
parations. The arseniate of iron has likewise been administered
internally in cancerous affections. The following formula may
be used.
Pilula Ferri Arseniatis Composita.
Compound Pills of Arseniate of Iron.
R. Ferri arseniat. gr. iij.
Extract, gentian. 3j-
Pulv. glycyrrhiz. 3ij-
Syrup, cujusvis q. s. nt fiat
Massa, in pilulas xlviii dividenda.
Dose.—One, three times a day.
FERRI BROMIDUM.
213
II. FERRI BROMIDUM.
Synonymes.—Ferrum Bromatum, Bromated, or Bromide of, Iron;—in solution,
Hydrobromate of Iron, Ferri Hydrobromas.
French.—Bromure de Fer.
German.—Bromeisen.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
This preparation is made by heating equal parts of bromine and
iron filings under water. As soon as the fluid becomes of a
greenish color it is filtered, and evaporated to dryness: the red-
dish residue—again dissolved in water and evaporated—is , the
bromide of iron. It has a brick-red colour; dissolves readily in
water, is deliquescent in the air, and has a very styptic taste.*
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY AND MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
Magendie has prescribed it successfully in cases, in which the
preparations of bromine have been indicated. (See Brominum,
p. 96.) He recommends the following formula.
Pilula Ferri Bromidi.
Pills of Bromide of Iron.
R. Ferri bromid. pulv. gr. xij.
Confect. rosar. gr. xviij.
Gum. arab. gr. xij.
Fiat massa in pilulas xx dividenda.
j)ose.—Two, morning and evening. Magendie.
R. Ferri bromid. 3j.
Extract, glycyrrhiz. q. s.
ut fiat massa in pilulas lx dividenda.
D0Se.—One or two, morning and evening, in cases of scrofula
and hypertrophy,—of the uterus especially. Werneck.
* Magendie, Formulaire pour la preparation, &c, de plusieurs nouveaux
medicameus, derniere 6dit.
19
214
FERRI carbonas.
III. FERRI CARBONAS.
Synonyme. Carbonate of Iron.
I. FERRI PROTOCARBONAS.
Synonyme. Protocarbonate of Iron.
The precipitated carbonate of iron contains but little carbonic
acid,—the remainder being chiefly peroxide of iron. The name
has indeed been changed—in the last London Pharmacopoeia—to
" sesquioxide of iron." The protocarbonate readily absorbs
oxygen, and, consequently, becomes converted into the sesqui-
oxide; and this is an objection commonly urged both against the
Mistura Ferri Composita, and the Pilulae Ferri Composites of the
Pharmacopoeias. This objection M. Vallet has discovered a
method of obviating, which consists in mixing the protocar-
bonate with saccharine matter.
1 MODE OF PREPARING.
The following method is given by Mr. Procter* as a simpli-
fication of M. Vallet's process. Take of protosulphate of iron
(pure) 16 parts; carbonate of soda (crystallized) 19 parts; pure
boney, 9 parts; syrup, a sufficient quantity. Dissolve the sul-
phate in half a gallon of water, at the temperature of 180° Fah-
renheit, and the carbonate of soda in a like quantity; to each of
these solutions add four ounces of syrup; and then mix them in a
jar, which should afterwards be entirely filled with sweetened
water, and the access of air prevented. After the precipitate has
subsided, decant the supernatant fluid, and then wash it with
sweetened water, in the jar, until deprived of the adhering sul-
phate of soda. After the carbonate is thus purified, throw the
precipitate on a flannel cloth; express forcibly, and mix it with
the honey. The mixture should then be reduced by evaporation
as rapidly and carefully as possible to a pilular consistence.
The mass constitutes the " Ferruginous Pills," of M. Vallet.
When prepared in this manner, the protocarbonate has a dark
olive colour, strong ferruginous taste, contains about 30 per cent
of protoxide of iron, and if carefully prepared dissolves wholly
and directly in acids.
* The American Journal of Pharmacy. Jan. 1839, p. 272.
FERRI PROTOCARBONAS.
215
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
The pills of M. Vallet have been prescribed in most of the dis-
eases in which chalybeates in general are considered to be indi-
cated; and especially in chlorosis and amenorrhcea.* It has been
affirmed, that in cases in which the alterative effects of iron are
proper, Vallet's preparation is superior to any other derived from
that metal.f This can only be decided therapeutically; and as
yet the trials have been too few. The author has exhibited it
freely, but has not had reason to assign it any pre-eminence. It
is certainly preferable to any other form of preparing the proto-
carbonate for medical use, in consequence of its stability, but it
has to be determined, whether the conversion into the sesquioxide
renders it less efficacious as a medicine. Blaud, as we shall see
presently, says distinctly not.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The mass of pilular consistence, described above, may be
made up into pills, each weighing three grains, and containing
somewhat less than a grain and a half of the protocarbonate.
They may be given to the extent of eight or ten pills daily,
and be continued for weeks, if necessary.
A medicine, which greatly resembles the Pilulas Ferri Com-
posite of the Pharmacopoeias, and in which the iron, when it is
newly prepared, is in the state of protocarbonate, has acquired
great celebrity in the south of France, on account of its benefi-
cial effects in chlorosis. It is given in the form of pill, and is
called after its inventor,—Dr. Blaud, senior physician to the Hos-
pital of Beaucaire,—" Blaud's Pills."
Blaud's formula for the preparation of his pills is as follows:—
Take of Gum Tragacanth, in powder, six grains; water,
one dram. Macerate in a glass or porcelain mortar, until a
thick mucilage is formed; and if it be desired to prevent the for-
mation of peroxide of iron, and to make the pills similar to those
of Vallet, substitute—says Mr. Blaud—a dram of powdered sugar
for the mucilage. Add, afterwards, of sulphate of iron, in powder,
half an ounce. Beat well, until the mixture is quite homogeneous;
and add subcarbonate of potassa,J half an ounce. Beat until the
* Soubeiran, Rapport sur les nouvelles pilules ferrugineuses de M. Vallet,
in Bulletin general de Therapeutique, Mai, 1833, and in Amer. Journal of
Pharm. x. 244. See also Berthemot, in Bull, general de ThSrapeut. Juillet,
1839.
f Wood and Bache's Dispensatory of the United States, 4th edit. p. 1170.
Philad. 1839.
X M. Giubourt substitutes the bicarbonate for the simple carbonate or sub-
216
FERRI PROTOCARBONAS.
mass, which soon becomes of a yellowish green colour, passes to
a deep green, and assumes a soft consistence. Divide into 48
pills; which M. Blaud considers sufficient for the cure of a chlo-
rotic patient.*
A proper objection made to these pills is their excessive size:
and farther it has been urged, that a chemical change quickly
occurs in the mass; the carbonate of the protoxide being, after "a
short time, converted into the sesquioxide of iron.f Blaud,J
however, maintains properly, that the virtues of medicines can-
not be appreciated from chemical experiments; " It is," he re-
marks, " to therapeutical trials, and not to chemical experiments
that we must have recourse, to learn accurately the medical
properties of any agent. What signifies it to practitioners that
my pills contain little or no protoxide of iron, provided that they
cure chlorosis?" To prove that they do possess this power,
Blaud adduces a long list of cases in which a cure was obtained
in three or four weeks.
To prevent, however, the change to which the chemists object,
but which Blaud appears rather to regard with favour, M. Adorne
has suggested the addition of sugar and the pulvis althasae, accord-
ing to the following form:—Take of sulphate of iron, recently
prepared, according to the method of, Bonsdorff,§ which is a
pure sulphate; subcarbonate of potassa, or what is better,
subcarbonate of soda; powdered root of the marshmallow and
sugar, each, half an ounce; mucilage of gum arabic and sugar,
as much as is sufficient. Make into 96 pills, which must be
covered with a very fine layer of gum and sugar, aromatized with
essential oil, to correct the disagreeable odour.||
M. Blaud commences with his " antichlorotic pills," in the
dose of one a day; and in the course of a few days gives two,
and afterwards three, daily.
Mr. Donovan0!! recommends the protocarbonate of iron to be
administered in the following manner, for extemporaneous use:—
Blue sulphate of iron, in fine powder, half an ounce: calcined
carbonate; and he gives as reasons: First, The avoidance of a very alkaline
saltpan excess of which may not prove beneficial to the stomach; and Second-
ly, The formation of a double carbonate of potassa and iron, which is, of all the
compounds of iron, the most fitted for absorption by the economy, as it is not
only soluble, but not astringent. His form is the following :—Take of pure
crystallized sulphate of iron, crystallized bicarbonate of potassa, each 4 drams;
powdered gum Arabic, one dram ; powdered marshmallows, half a dram. Mix
and divide.mto 96 pills. Pharmacopee Raisonnee, i. 383; and Amer. Journal
of Pharmacy, April, 1839, p. 61.
* Revue Medicale, Mars, 1832, Dec. 1838.
f Soubeiran, Bull, general de Therap. Mai, 1838. J Ibid.
$ Dr. Bache, in Wood and Bache's Dispensatory, 4th edit. p. 906. Philad.
1839.
II Bulletin Medical du Midi, Janvier, 1839; Encyclographie des Sciences
medicales, Mars, 1839.
17 Dublin Journal of Medical Science, Mar. 1840, p. 159.
FERRI CABONAS PR^CIPITATUS.
217
magnesia, two scruples: water, six ounces: tincture of quassia, two
drams. Divide into six draughts, one to be given night and
morning.
II. FERRI CARBONAS PR^ECIPITATUS.
Synonymes.—F. Subcarbonas, Ferrum Carbonatum Prsecipitatum, Ferrum
Carbonicum Oxydulatum, Oxydum Ferri Fuscum, Deuto-Carbonas Ferri
Fuscus, Crocus Martis Aperiens, Ferri Sesquioxydum, Subcarbonate of
Iron, Sesquioxide of Iron, Peroxide of Iron.
French.—Souscarbonate de Fer, Safran de Mars Aperitif.
German.—Kohlensaure Eisenoxydul.
This preparation, which is officinal in the British, American,
and other pharmacopoeias, is formed by adding a solution of car-
bonate of soda to a solution of sulphate of iron: the precipitate is
the carbonate, or subcarbonate, or—as it is now called in the
London Pharmacopoeia—the sesquioxide of iron, which must be
washed with water, and dried.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
The precipitated carbonate of iron possesses the properties of
the chalybeates in general, and has been highly recommended as
a tonic, wherever such remedies are indicated. It is introduced
here, mainly on account of the favour which it has received, of
late years, as a remedy for neuralgia. Thirty years ago, its use
was strongly advised in cancer and carcinomatous ulcerations of
the uterus, by Mr. Carmichael;* and, subsequently, by Rust,
Voelker, and Kopp; as well as in a case of lupus of the ala nasi,
by Key:f but, in similar cases, it proved unsuccessful in the
hands of Clarke, El. Von Siebold, Meissner, Richter, and others.J
In chronic nervous diseases, of a spasmodic nature, and especially
in tic douloureux of the face, it was first highly extolled by Mr.
Benjamin Hutchinson, about twenty years ago,§ who published
several cases of cure effected by its agency. Soon afterwards,
cases, equally fortunate in their termination, were published by
various observers, by Drs. A. T. Thomson,|| Stewart Crawford,1H
R. Macleod,** Mr. J. E. Beale,ff and many others, and its effi-
* An Essay on the Effects of the Carbonate and other Preparations of Iron
upon Cancer, 2d edit. Dublin, 1809.
f Lancet, xiv. 92.
X Osann, in Encyclopad. Worterb. der medicinisch. Wissenschaft. x. 424.
Berlin, 1334.
§ Cases of Tic Douloureux successfully treated. Lond. 1820.
|| Medical and Physical Journal, Feb. 1823.
IT Ibid.
** Ibid. June, 1823.
ft Ibid. Sept. 1823.
19*
218
FERRI CARBONAS PRiECIPITATUS.
cacy is now almost universally admitted. Dr. Rowland* hag
often witnessed the most happy results from its exhibition, even
after various powerful medicines had been tried in vain.
Dr. Elliotsonf published several cases, in which the remedy,
in large doses, had been efficacious; and he remarks, that true
chronic neuralgia, not arising from cold, and coming on in a vio-
lent, stabbing, plunging form, aggravated by the least shake of
the patient, and by touching the surface, is best treated by the
subcarbonate of iron. He observes, however, in a recent publi-
cation,;!, that he does not recollect that he ever cured the disease,
but in almost every case improved it, and caused it to disappear
for a time. In one of the severest cases of neuralgia, under the
form of hemicrania, which we ever witnessed, and which had
rendered the patient's life miserable for years, the subcarbonate
of iron, in large doses, proved, in our hands, entirely successful.
The patient had been bled repeatedly; and when we saw her, she
was under the most favourable circumstances for the exhibition
of the remedy,—with the surface pale and cool; the pulse small;
complaining much of debility, and yet suffering under the most
intense headach, which the least light and noise rendered almost
intolerable; yei, after she had persevered in the use of the remedy
for a month, in large doses, the symptoms gradually disappeared,
and she has since remained entirely well. It need scarcely be
said, that where plethora exists, or febrile irritation supervenes,
it must be removed; the subcarbonate rarely, however, disagrees
with the stomach, and where it does, the inconveniences are re-
moved by the addition of an aromatic, or the administration of a
cathartic.
The subcarbonate of iron, in large doses, has, likewise, been
found a valuable agent in a kindred condition of the nervous sys-
tem—chorea. Dr. Elliotson§ affirms that he has had—he should
suppose—forty cases, in succession, all cured by it; but perseve-
rance in its use is demanded, the affection generally disappearing
when the remedy has been given about six weeks or two months;
but in some obstinate cases, it has been necessary to continue it
for twelve weeks.
Like other tonics, it has been prescribed in intermittents, and
not long ago, M. Gimon,]| physician at Thouars, published two
cases, elucidative of the effects of large doses in long protracted
intermittents, complicated with ascites and enlargement of the
* Treatise on Neuralgia, by Richard Rowland, M. D., p. 84. Lond. 1838 ;
and the reprint in the author's American Medical Library.
f Medico-Chirurgical Transactions, xv. 161.
X Principles and Practice of Medicine, &c. by John Elliotson, M. D.; with
Notes, &c. by Nathaniel Rogers, M. D. p. 507. Lond. 1839.
§ Op. citat. p. 515.
|| Journal des Connoissances Medico-Chirurgicales, Mai, 1837.
FERRI CARBONAS PRjECIPITATUS. 219
spleen. One of these occurred in a boy nine years old, and the
other in a young man of twenty-one. Both had taken the sul-
phate of quinine in large doses, but ineffectually. To the former,
he prescribed twelve grains of the subcarbonate in the twenty-
four hours, augmenting the dose by six grains daily. The treat-
ment was commenced in the latter end of July, 1835, and the
quantity taken in the day was pushed progressively to one ounce.
In six months, the traces of ascites and splenocele had disap-
peared, and the cure was complete. The medicine was discon-
tinued by gradually diminishing the dose. In the second case, the
same dose was prescribed, in the first instance, and it was ulti-
mately carried to six drams, with complete success.
More recently, still, Dr. Steyman* has recommended the car-
bonate of iron for the treatment of hooping-cough, in the dose of
half a grain at the least, to be taken every three hours with sugar,
and increased to as many grains as, and more than, the number
of years of the child's age. It should not, he advises, be admi-
nistered in the first stage of the disease; and, in all cases, should
be preceded by an emetic.
The great efficacy of this preparation—as of every tonic—in
diseases that are paroxysmal, appears to consist in the new im-
pression which it makes upon the nerves of the stomach, and,
through them, upon those of the whole system; but to effect the
revulsion to the requisite extent, it appears to be necessary—as
in the cases of the artemisia and the indigo in epilepsy—to keep
up the effect of the remedy by gradually increasing the dose.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The dose of the subcarbonate of iron, in cases of neuralgia and
chorea, should be large. Mr. Hutchinson prescribed it in the
quantity of 3SS to 3ij twice a day; but where it fails to remove
the complaint in those doses, Dr. Elliotson recommends, that, it
should be increased gradually to one or two ounces. We have
never found it necessary to carry it so high. The best vehicle
is molasses. The following formula? have been recommended-!
Pulvis Ferri Sesquioxydi—{P. Ferri Carbonati Pracipitati.)
Powder of Precipitated Carbonate of Iron.
R. Ferri carb. praecip. gr. x.
Pulv. cinnam. comp. gr. v.
M. fiat pulvis mane et meridie sumendus.
* Medicin. Correspondenz-Blatt, and Gazette Medicale de Paris, June 20,
1838.
f Brande, Dictionary of the Materia Medica, p. 248. Lond. 1839.
220 FERRICARBURETUM.
Boli Ferri Carbonatis Pracipitati.
Boluses of Precipitated Carbonate of Iron.
R. Ferri carb. praecip. gr. x.
Pulv. Valerianae, 3ss.
Syrup, zingib. q. s.
Fiat bolus.
Pilula Ferri Carbonatis Pracipitati.
Pills of Precipitated Carbonate of Iron.
R. Ferri carb. praecip.
Extract, anthemid. aa. Jss.
Misce et divide in pilulas xij, quarum sumat binas ter quotidie.
R. Ferri carb. praecip. 3j.
Pilul. aloes cum myrrha, ^ss.
Misce et divide in pilulas xviij: duae bis terve indies sumendae.
Electuarium Ferri Carbonatis pracipitati.
Electuary of Precipitated Carbonate of Iron.
R. Ferri carb. praecip.
Confcct. aurant. aa. Xj.
Syrupi zingib. q. s.
ut fiat electuarium cujus sumatur cochleare minimum bis vel ter die.
IV. FERRI CARBTJRETUM.
Synonymes—Ferrum Carburetum, F. Carbonatum, F. Supercarburetum;
Graphites, Plumbago, Carbo mineralis, Black Lead, Carburet of Iron.
French.—Carbure de Fer, Graphite, Crayon noir, Plombagine.
German.—Kohlenstoffeisen, Graphit, Reissblei.
This well known substance was formerly considered to be
slightly astringent and desiccative. By Weinhold,* it has been
advised strongly in certain cutaneous affections, but although it
has been received into various pharmacopoeias of continental
Europe, as the Antwerp, Bavarian, Brunswick, Spanish, Parisian,
Finnish, Prussian, Saxon, and Swedish, it has never been recog-
nised as a therapeutical agent in this country or in Great Britain.
* Der Graphit als ein neu entdecktes Mittel gegen Flechten. Leipz. 1809.
FERRI CARBURETUM.
221
MODE OF PREPARING.
As crude graphite is frequently very impure from the attached
matrix, the Prussian Pharmacopoeia has a formula for its purifi-
cation, the product of which bears the name graphites depuratus.
With this view, the graphite must be very finely pulverised; a
pound of it is boiled in a proper quantity of common water, for an
hour; the water is then decanted, and two ounces of nitric acid
and of muriatic acid, and eight ounces of common water are
poured upon the graphite. This mixture is digested for twenty-
four hours,frequently shaking it; the acid fluid is then poured off,
and, after the residuum has been washed, by an appropriate
quantity of common water, it is dried.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
The internal use of graphite produces no perceptible change
on the organic functions, except that according, to Weinhold, un-
der its protracted use, the urinary secretion is augmented, and a
disposition to micturition excited. He found, however, that in
herpetic and other cutaneous affections, it occasioned a very fa-
vourable modification in the eruption, and wholly removed it. In
consequence of the results of his observations, he published a mo-
nograph in which he recommended the graphite to physicians in
those affections. He employed it as well internally as externally.
The urine, he asserts, after its administration, commonly began
to make a deposite, and this continued until some change in the
cutaneous affection announced its approaching cure.
In cases of complication of herpes with other affections, Wein-
hold combined it with other remedies; in syphilitic eruptions,
adding corrosive sublimate, &c.
The efficacy of the graphite in herpetic and other cutaneous
affections, has also been attested by many other respectable phy-
sicians, as Horn, Heim, Ruggieri, Brera, Bernstein, Hildenbrand,
Richter, Hufeland, Marc,* &c. This gave occasion to its admis-
sion into the Prussian Pharmacopoeia, yet it has not the confi-
dence of physicians, even in those countries into the pharmaco-
poeias of which it has been received, and is consequently but little
used.
* Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimittel, u. s. w. Stuttgart, 1837, S. 214; see,
also, Weinhold, in Hufeland's Journal, B. xxxiv. St. 1. S. 118; Heim, in
Horn's Archiv. 1810, xii. 326, and Ibid. 1811, B. 1. S. 91; Huber, in Med.
Chir. Zeitung, 1811, No. 68, S. 282; Hufeland, Journ. der prakt. Heilkunde,
B. xxxviii. St. 6; Bernstein, Ibid. B. xli. St. 5; Mayer, Ibid. B. lx. St. 2, and
Osann, in Encyclop. Worterb. der Med. Wissensch. x. 434. Berlin. 1834.
222
FERRI CARBURETUM.
Its use in chronic cutaneous diseases is said to have been sug-
gested by the circumstance, that, in Venice, the makers of crayons
are speedily cured of any such affections under which they may
labour.*
METHOD OF ADMINISTERING.
Internally, graphite is given in doses of from five to fifteen
grains, from two to four times daily; and the dose may be aug-
mented, according to circumstances, to a dram in the day. It is
given in powder, or in the pilular form. Externally, it is applied
in the form of ointment or plaster—from 3ij to 3vj of the graphite
to an ounce of the constituent.
Pulvis Ferri Carbureti.
Powder of Carburet of Iron.
R. Ferri carburet, pur.
Sacch. alb. aa. 3ss. M.
Divide in partes eequal. vi.
Dose.—One every two hours—in lichen leproides.
HlLDENBRAND,
Electuarium Ferri Carbureti.
Electuary of Carburet of Iron.
R. Ferri carburet, pur. ?ss.
Mellis despumat. 5ij. M.
Fiat electuarium.
Dose.—A coffee-spoonful morning and evening. Weinhold.
Pilula Ferri Carbureti.
Pills of Carburet of Iron.
R. Ferri carburet, pur.
Extract, dulcamar. aa. 3j.
M. fiant pilulae, pond. gr. ij.
Dose.—Six, three times a day. Maerker,
R. Ferri carburet. Jij.
Flor. zinci. 3ss.
Adipis. ?j. M.
Mayer.
* Merat & De Lens, in Diet, de Mat. Med. Art. Carbone.
FERRI CYANIDUM. 223
Unguentum Ferri Carbureti.
Ointment of Carburet of Iron.
R. Ferri carburet, pur.
Sulphur, depurat. aa. 5ij-
Adipis, q. s. ut fiat unguentum.
Brera.
Emplastrum Ferri Carbureti.
Plaster of Carburet of Iron.
R. Ferri carburet, depur. 3'j-
Emplast. sapon. 3iv.
Misce intime.
Weinhold.
V. FERRI CYANIDUM.
Synonymes.—Ferri Cyanuretum, F. Cyanogenatum, Kyanuretum Ferri, F.
Oxydulatum Hydrocyanicum, F. Borussias, Ferro Sesquicyanidum, F. Per-
cynidum, Ferrocyanas Oxydi Ferri, Ferri Fcrrocyanas, Ferrum Cyanure-
tum, Ferrum Zooticum, F. Borussicum, Cceruleum Borussicum, C. Bero-
liniense, Prussiate or Cyanide of Iron, Cyanuret of Iron; Prussian Blue.
French.—Trito-hydro-ferro-cyanate de Fer; Deutoxicyanure de Fer Hydrate;
Tritohydrocyanate Ferrure de Fer, Prussiate de Potasse et de Fer, Bleu de
Prusse.
German.—Cyaneisen, Blaustoffbisen, Blausaures Eisenoxydul, Eisenblausaures
Eisenoxyd, Eisencyanarcyanid, Berliner Blau, Pariser Biau.
In commerce, this preparation with us bears the name " Prus-
sian blue," but in Germany it is called " Pariser Blau." It is not
in a state of purity, and, consequently, that which the apothecary
prepares is best adapted for internal use.
MODE OF PREFARING.
The form given by Buchner is as good as any. The ferrocy-
anate of potassa, as commonly met with in commerce, is dis-
solved in warm distilled water, and to the clear filtered solution
is gradually added, in a glass vessel, a solution of chemically
pure sulphate of iron so long as a precipitate is thrown down.
After the precipitate has fallen to the bottom of the vessel, and
the supernatant fluid, which contains sulphate of potassa, has been
poured off, the precipitate is first digested with dilute sulphuric or
muriatic acid, in order to dissolve the excess of oxide of iron; the
224
FERRI CYANIDUM.
beautiful dark blue precipitate is then collected on a filter, care-
fully washed with boiling water, and dried.
The cyanide of iron is of a beautiful deep blue colour, and
devoid of odour and taste. It is decomposed by heat, and is in-
soluble in water, alcohol, ether, oils and dilute acids. Potassa
and soda decompose it. According to Dr. ZoUickoffer, it adheres
firmly to the tongue, which Riecke thinks, though erroneously, is
owing to its containing argil.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
Of the effects of the cyanide of iron on the human economy in
health we have no evidence. Coullon gave it to various animals,
but observed no action from it. It has been given, and not with-
out success, in several diseases; and Dr. L. W. Sachs, who has
not unfrequently administered it, considers it one of the most im-
portant chalybeates with which we are acquainted. He thinks it
probable, that the hydrocyanic acid has not much agency; yet it
certainly seems to differ from all the other preparations of iron.
It has been especially recommended in epilepsy by Kirckhoff*
of Ghent. In very obstinate cases, not dependent upon organic
mischief, he succeeded entirely with it; with the adult he com-
menced with half a grain daily, and raised the dose gradually to
three, four, and even six grains and upwards. When the patient
was plethoric, he premised bloodletting, or applied leeches, from
time to time, to the temples. Hildenbrand and Gergeres confirm
its efficacy in epilepsy. It has also been administered by Dr.
Zollickofferf successfully in a case of chorea; three grains being
given in the form of pill, three times a day. In six days, the girl,
twelve years old, was entirely cured, after camphor, opium,
quinine, and assafoetida, the nitrate of silver, and subcarbonate
of iron had been given in vain.
In intermittent fever Dr. ZollickofferJ found the cyanide of iron so
efficacious, that he even gave it the preference over the cinchona;
and his experience has been confirmed by that of Eberle,§ Ho-
sack,|| and others. Wutzer, in Germany, also exhibited it suc-
cessfully; and Stosch gave it advantageously, in combination
with cinchona and rhubarb, in a case of obstinate intermittent.
Sachs likewise tried it frequently, but as often without as with
success. When it has proved efficacious in intermittents the dose
has been by no means large. Some have given six or eight
grains every four hours during the apyrexia, and even as much
* Journal de Chimie Medicale, iii. 285.
f Medical Examiner, May 16, 1840, p. 314.
X American Medical Recorder, v. 540.
§ Materia Medica, 21 edit, i, 233.
|| New York Medical and Physical Journal, 1823.
FERRI CYANIDUM.
225
as a scruple has been administered. Sachs found it several times
efficacious when four doses of two grains each were taken.
Riecke,* affirms that his father obtained essential service from
it in the leucophlegmatic conditions resulting from intermittent
fever.
ZoUickoffer extols the cyanide also in remittent fever, and there
may doubtless be periods when it may be administered with
benefit, but it is not often used. He recommends it also in dysen-
tery,] when the inflammatory condition has passed away, either
spontaneously or under the efforts of art: and Sachs remarks,
that in those atonic conditions of the intestinal canal, which su-
pervene on dysentery, it may doubtless be of great service. Ger-
geres administered it successfully in chronic diarrhea. L. W.
Sachs enters into a long theoretical disquisition on the precise
action of the remedy, in which there is doubtless much that is
speculative. He used it, he says, with success, in many cases
which it would be difficult to classify under any formal nosology;
their common bond, however, was, that they were dependent
upon " nervous disorders, especially of the plastic functions of the
abdominal organs, the mischief appearing first of all to be gas-
tric." In such affections, he found a combination of the cyanide
of iron with rhubarb especially serviceable. He gave it in not
less than two grain doses, which he gradually augmented to
six grains three times a day. Dr. Moll saw decidedly good ef-
fects from its use in a case of immoderate menstruation from
atony of the uterus with general elevation of the nervous excita-
bility, after he had employed the remedies, commonly recommend-
ed, unsuccessfully. He found it also extremely beneficial to chil-
dren of a strumous habit, and great torpor.
Stosch found it serviceable in a case of scrofula, in which ha?-
matosis was imperfectly accomplished, and Dr. Bridges^ found
great advantage from it in a case of severe and protracted facial
neuralgia.
Externally, the cyanide of iron has been used in the form of
ointment, in cases of ill conditioned, torpid and foul ulcers, and
even of noli me tangere. Stosch applied it in a case of fungous
ulcer with marked advantage; forming it into a paste with water
and applying it in that form.
* Op. cit. S. 217.
t Chapman's Philadelphia Journal, Aug. 1823.
X Wood & Bache's Dispensatory, Art. Ferri Ferrocyanas.
20
226
FERRI CYANIDUM.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
Pulvis Ferri Cyanidi.
Powder of Cyanide of Iron.
R. Ferri cyanid. gr. iij ad xxxvj.
Sacchar. alb. 3ij. M. et divide in pulveres vj.
Dose.—A powder two or three times a day, in epilepsy.
KlRCKHOFF.
R. Ferri cyanid. gr. j, iv, vj ad xij.
Sacch. alb. Jj.
Fiat pulvis in partes xij aequales dividendus.
Dose.—A powder every two hours, in epilepsy.
HlLDENBRAND.
R. Ferri cyanid.
Pulv. guaiac. aa. 5j-
Misce et divide in chartulas xij.
Dose.—One three times a day.—Employed successfully in in-
termittents.*
Pilula Ferri Cyanidi.
Pills of Cyanide of Iron.
R. Gum. amnion.
Rhad. Rhei,
Ext. taraxac. aa. 3j-
Ferri cyanid. gr. xviij ad xxxvj.
M. et fiat massa in pilulas lx dividenda.
Dose.—Four to six, twice a day, in disorder of the ganglionic
system. Radius, according to L. W. Sachs.
Unguentum Ferri Cyanidi.
Ointment of Cyanide of Iron.
R. Ferri cyanid. 5j«
Unguent, cetacei, £j. M. et fiat unguentum.
Applied to foul ulcers.
* Ellis's Formulary, 5th edit. p. 161. Philad. 1838.
FERRI IODIDUM.
227
VI. FERRI IODIDUM.
SSynonvmes.—Ferri loduretum, Ferrum lodatum, Iodated Iron, Iodide of Iron,
loduret of Iron, Protoioduret or Protoiodide of Iron.
French.—Iodure de Fer, Protoiodure de Fer.
German.—Iodeisen.
In solution, Ferri Hydriodas, Ferrum Hydriodatum, Ferrum Hydroiodicum
Oxydulatum, Hydriodated Iron, Hydriodate of Iron, Hydriodate of Protoxide
of Iron.
French.—Hydriodate de Fer.
German.—Hydriodsaures Eisenoxydul.
Although attention had been directed, several years ago, to
this preparation, it was not much used, until Prof. A. T. Thom-
son,* of the London University, recommended it strongly in a
special monograph a few years since. It has been received
into the London Pharmacopoeia.
MODE OF PREPARING.
The following method is recommended by Dr. Thomson. One
part of iron wire should be rubbed in a porcelain or wedgewood
mortar, with about three or four parts of iodine, gradually adding
distilled water, until fifteen parts of the fluid have been used: the
whole is then to be introduced into a Florence flask, with an addi-
tional portion of wire and of distilled water. This excess of iron
is a matter of indifference in the preparation of the hydriodate, and
in that of the iodide it is necessary for preserving the combina-
tion from decomposition during the evaporation of the solution.
These materials are next to be boiled together, until the fluid ac-
quires a pale greenish colour, when it must be filtered. This so-
lution contains a hydriodate of the protoxide of iron; and, if the
exact quantity of the iodine be previously ascertained, so as to
enable us to procure the solution of a definite strength, it may be
kept in this state for medicinal use. In general, however, the so-
lution is evaporated to dryness, and for this purpose it may be
poured into a clean flask, containing a piece of iron wire suffi-
ciently long to reach from the bottom to the surface of the fluid,
and the boiling should be continued until the bulk of the solution
be reduced to one third. It must then be filtered, after which the
evaporation should be continued to dryness. It is necessary to
* Some observations on the preparation and medicinal employment of the
loduret and Hydriodate of Iron, 8vo. pp. 64. Lond. 1834.
228
FERRI IODIDUM.
break the flask as soon as the mass is cold, in order to obtain the
solid iodide, which should be immediately transferred to a dry
bottle, accurately fitted with a ground stopper. The bottle should
not hold more than two ounces of the preparation; for when it
is large and not full, the iodide deliquesces nearly as rapidly as
when it is exposed to the free action of the atmosphere. When
the flask is broken, and the iodide bottled before the mass is cold,
deliquescence also takes place, a peroxide of the metal is formed,
and iodine is evolved.
The plan proposed by Mr. Durand,* of Philadelphia, after that
by MM. Baup and Caillot,f for preparing the solution of the
protoiodide of iron (hydriodate of protoxide of iron) is the fol-
lowing :—
Take of iodine 3x, iron filings, perfectly pure and unoxidised,
3v, distilled water ^xiiss. Put the iodine into a porcelain cap-
sule, with one half the quantity of water, add the iron filings by
small portions, stirring the mixture with a glass rod. The com-
bination soon takes place; heat is evolved with the disengage-
ment of a small quantity of vapour of iodine, and the mixture ac-
quires an orange colour, which gradually deepens to a dark red.
When the whole of the iron has been added, the capsule is put in
a sand bath or over the flame of a spirit lamp and heated slowly;
continuing to stir the liquid. An iodureted hydriodate of iron is
first produced, which, under the action of heat, soon passes to the
state of a simple hydriodate. This point is indicated by the en-
tire discoloration of the solution. In this state it is filtered; and
the dregs and filter are carefully washed with the remaining half
of the distilled water, previously heated to the boiling point. In
this manner, a solution forming twelve and a half fluid ounces
is afforded, one ounce of which represents one dram of iodide of
iron.
The solution, which is at first colourless, acquires a deep red
colour by standing, and precipitates some oxide of iron; by which
it is reduced to the state of an iodureted hydriodate of iron; but it
maybe easily restored to its former state by heating it again with
a small quantity of iron filings, until the liquid becomes colour-
less.
The iodide of iron is obtained by evaporating to dryness the
filtered solution, taking care, towards the end, to stir incessantly
with an iron spatula, and to detach the salt from the bottom of the
capsule as it forms. The heat must be managed most carefully,
diminishing it gradually, and removing the capsule quickly from
the fire as soon as the odour of iodine is evolved. The solution of
this salt, when the iodide is well prepared, is of a light orange
* Philad. Journ. of Pharmacy, iv. 287. Philad. 1833.
t Ibid, i. 201.
FERRI IODIDUM.
229
colour, and deeper in proportion to the decomposition which some
parts may have undergone towards the end of the operation.
The iodide requires to be well secured from the influence of the
atmosphere, both on account of its deliquescent property, the rapid
oxidation which the metal undergoes when deliquescence occurs,
and the consequent decomposition which takes place. It is im-
portant to prevent this, as the peroxide of iron is inert as a medi-
cinal agent; whilst the free iodine extricated during its operation,
according to Dr. Thomson, alters altogether the virtues of the
medicine. This partial decomposition of the iodide is rendered
immediately apparent on dissolving it in twenty times its weight
of distilled water, and filtering: instead of a permanent, clear, very
pale greenish yellow, we obtain an ochre-coloured, completely in-
soluble precipitate. Much of the iodide, usually prepared, is of
this description, and to this may, doubtless, be referred some of the
disappointment and discrepancy amongst practitioners as to the
operation of the medicine in cases apparently similar. Even when
the iodide has been carefully prepared, it often contains a little
free iodine; but, according to Thomson, it is chiefly owing to the
carelessness of assistants and apprentices in compounding prescrip-
tions, by frequently exposing the iodide to the air, that its proper-.
ties, and, consequently, its medicinal powers, are impaired: hence,
it is preferable to keep it in solution, or in the form of hydriodate,
which it becomes, whenever water is added to it.
If the solution be prepared with a definite quantify of iodine, as
described, it will keep without changing its characters; but as it is
usually made, by dissolving the iodide in distilled water, i+ requires
to be rendered neutral by the following means :—Introduce into a
flask the solution of any given strength, and place in it two or
three doubles of clean and soft iron wire, sufficiently long to ex-
tend to the surface of the fluid; boil for a few minutes, and then
leave it at rest, until the solution becomes clear, after which it may
be either decanted off from the precipitate which forms, or filtered':
no farther change takes place in a solution thus treated, provided
it be kept in a blackened or a green bottle, however long it may be
preserved. In this process, the wire affords iron to saturate any
free iodine present in the solution, or that may have been extri-
cated bv the formation of the peroxide of iron in the iodide; and a
perfect fy neutral solution being thus obtained, by the immediate
conversion of the newly formed iodide into the hydriodate of the
protoxide, no subsequent change takes place so long as the solution
is kept secluded from the light. The best proportions, according
to Dr. Thomson, for forming the medicinal solution, are three
o-rains of the dry solid iodide to each fluidram of distilled water.
If the water be not either distilled or filtered rain water, perfectly
free from foreign ingredients, and particularly if it contain any
earthy or saline carbonates, decomposition instantly takes place,
20 *
230
FERRI IODIDUM.
iodine is extricated,and a carbonate of iron, which rapidly passes
into the state of a peroxide of that metal, is precipitated.
To protect the solution of the iodide from decomposition, it has
been advised to associate it with sugar, which appears to exert
the same protective agency as it does on the protocarbonate of
iron. With this view, the following preparation has been pro-
posed by Mr. Wm. Procter, Jumv* Take of iodine, 11 drams;
iron filings, 4 drams; syrup, uncrystallizable honey, or uncrystal-
iizable sugar, 4 ounces; distilled water, a sufficient quantity. Mix
the iodine with eight fluid ounces of the distilled water, and gra-
dually add the iron filings, stirring constantly; then apply a gentle
heat until the solution shall have acquired a' light green colour, or
shall not give a blue colour to a solution of starch; then add
whichever of the three protecting saccharine substances may be
chosen, continue the heat a short time, and filter. Lastly, wash
the filter with as much distilled water as will make sixteen fluid
ounces of solution of iodide of iron.
Dr. Frederking has published a formula for the preparation
of a syrup of this salt, which even when exposed to the air re-
mains undecomposed for upwards of three months. His formula
is as follows :—Iodine, 100 grains; iron filings, 50 grains; distilled
water, one ounce. Digest these for some time, filter and wash the
ferruginous mass with a little distilled water; unite the fluids and
add half an ounce of sugar, then evaporate down to one ounce.
This syrup, united with powdered marsh mallow, makes a good
pilular mass; or, when mixed with water, a clear solution. Four
parts of the syrup contain one of iron.f
When iodide of iron is carefully prepared, it is of an iron gray
colour, foliated texture, brittle, and exhibits a crystalline arrange-
ment similar to metallic antimony, except that it is darker. In the
dry state, it is inodorous; but when moist, it smells somewhat of
iodine: the taste, when dry, is simply styptic ; when moist, some-
what acrid, before it impresses the gustatory organs. At 350° of
Fahrenheit it fuses; and, at a higher temperature, is decom-
posed,—the iodine being volatilised, and the iron remaining in
the state of oxide. It dissolves in all proportions in water,—the
changes supervening, which have been already indicated. 11 is de-
composed by chlorine, the mineral acids, oxide of arsenic, meco-
nic acid—consequently by opium and laudanum—gallic acid, and
tannin, the pure and carbonated alkalies, different metallic salts,
and by the infusions of digitalis, belladonna, hyoscyamus, tobacco!
amylaceous substances, &c: such substances ought not, therefore!
to be given in combination with it.
* American Journal of Pharmacy, for July, 1840, p. 13.
fRepertor. fur die Pharmacie, 1839, and Amer. Jour. Med. Sciences Feb
1840. p. 449. "'
FERRI IODIDUM. 231
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN HEALTH.
From experiments made on his own person, Dr. Thomson
states the following to be the physiological effects of the hydrio-
date of iron.
When taken in doses of from three to five grains, it makes no
sensible impression on the stomach, although it sharpens the ap-
petite, and improves the digestive function: it seems to stimulate
moderately the digestive canal through its entire length; for it
opens the bowels; and, whilst it produces the black colour of the
alvine discharges characteristic of all the preparations of iron, it
corrects their foetor. When it does not affect the bowels, it aug-
ments the action of the kidneys, increasing the flow of urine; and
if the solution be taken two or three times a day, for several days
successively, the presence of both the iodine and the iron can be
readily detected in the urine. The temperature of the skin is mo-
derately elevated, and the insensible perspiration increased. On
one occasion, having taken ten grains for a dose, it almost imme-
diately caused an uneasy sensation at the epigastrium, accompa-
nied with nausea that continued for several hours, and a slight
degree of headach. These symptoms were relieved by a copious
evacuation, which was perfectly black. Two hours after taking
the medicine, a large quantity of urine was discharged; which,
on being tested, displayed the presence of both the iodine and the
iron.
The experiments on animals, made by Dr. Cogswell,* induced
him to infer:—
1. That the iodide of iron acts as a local stimulant, possessing
the power of effecting peculiar disorganisation.
2. That its action is more particularly directed to the tract of
the alimentary canal.
When added to blood out of the body, the iodide of iron pro-
motes its coagulation.j
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
From the chemical composition of the iodide of iron, Dr. Thom-
son considered it might be specially adapted for cases in which
augmented activity of the capillary or intermediate system, with
a tonic effect, might be indicated, and particularly in scrofulous
affections, tabes mesenterica, chlorosis, incipient scirrhus, rickets,
amenorrhea, bronchocele, atonic dyspepsia,—indeed in all cases
* E^say on tho Iodine, p. 132. Edinb. 1S37.
f Mao-endie, Lpgons sur le Sang, &c; and translation in the Lancet, Jan.
26, 1839.
232
FERRI IODIDUM.
accompanied by debility. In such affections, he conceives the
iodide will act more efficiently than any of the other preparations
of iron. In secondary syphilis, it may be combined, he suggests,
with iodide of potassium; and in incipient cancer, its efficacy, is
aided by the administration of arsenic at the same time. Dr.
Thomson has found it serviceable in atonic gastric dyspepsia,
when combined with bicarbonate of potassa, and taken at the mo-
ment of admixture, in the dose of from three to eight grains or
more.* A great advantage it possesses is its ready solubility, owing
to which it can enter the circulatory system with facility, and
modify the condition of the fluids. In chronic scrofulous cases,
it produces all the good effects of the preparations of iron, with-
out any of the concomitant and subsequent symptoms that are so
apt to supervene, especially in impressible individuals. Where
tbe case is accompanied by vascular erethism, or fulness, they
must be reduced before the iodide can be esteemed appropriate.
In chlorosis, occurring in strumous habits, it has been found most
serviceable. Its efficacy in cancer is elucidated by Dr. Thomson.
by the details of a case of scirrhous mamma, which, after pro-
tracted and fruitless treatment by other agents—as by other pre-
parations of iron combined with conium—ultimately yielded to a
combination of the hydriodate of iron and conium.
Some cases are also detailed in which the hydriodate of iron
was very effective in removing old syphilitic affections, especially
of the skin.
Prior to the publication of Thomson, Pierquin had given the
iodide in cases of leucorrhaa and amenorrhea, and Eagerf had
recommended it in scrofula. RicordJ found the very best effects
from its internal use in cases where tonics required to be com-
bined with antisyphilitic remedies, especially where any scrofu-
lous vice (lymphatisme) constituted a complication. He adminis-
tered it likewise with great success, to remove the consequences
of syphilis, and found it advantageous in atonic ulcers of the legs
and in spreading ulcers of the th mat, which had been aggravated
or had not yielded to mercury. The strength of M. Ricord's so-
lution was half a dram of the iodide to ?viij of water, »iven, we
presume, in the twenty-four hours.
M. Ricord§ also uses it in the form of injection in cases of blen-
norrhea. Wherever, indeed, tonic astringent injections are
* London Dispensatory, and Brando's Dictionary of Mat. Med. p. 25:2. Lond.
1839. See, ako, Solon, in Diet, de Wed. et de Chirurg. Pratiq. Art. lode ; and
Ashwell, in Guy's Hospital Reports, p. 1. 128; and p. lii, p. 555.
f Dublin Journal of Medical Science, 1834; also, Coo-swell on Iodine n
138, Edinb. 1837. ° ' '
X J. J. L. Rattier, in La Lancette Fran^aise, Fev. 4, 1837.
§ J. J. L. Rattier, Ibid. Fev. 16, 1837; see, also, Revue Medicale, Janvier,
1838, and Dunglison's American Med. Intelligencer, Sep. 15, 1838, p. 195.
FEERI IODIDUM.
233
needed, the iodide, in his opinion, should occupy the first rank.
Its use, he thinks, can only be contra-indicated when there is
much inflammation or pain in passing the urine, or when cystitis
exists. The strength of the injection should be three grains to
the ounce of water.
In consequence of its promoting the coagulation of the blood
out of the body, Magendie* prescribed it recently in the form of
injection (3i to fhij of water) employed several times a day in a
case of severe uterine hemorrhage. The hemorrhage ceased.
We have frequently given this remedy in public and private
practice, and have considered it especially adapted for those cases
in which there appears to be torpor in the system of nutrition, as
in cases of asthenic dropsy, old visceral engorgements, and indeed
of hypertrophy of any kind, accompanied by deficient action in
the intermediate system of vessels. In oligemia, where there is
paucity of red globules in the blood, and the fluid is altogether
too thin, it would seem to be especially indicated, from its pro-
perty, mentioned above, of promoting the coagulating of the blood,
and therefore, of inspissating it. Hence, in all cases of scorbutic,
hydropic nndother dyscrasies, and in hemorrhages occurring in such
pathological conditions of the system, we have prescribed it large-
ly and with the very best effects. It appears to us, indeed, to be
the best remedy we possess wherever a sorbefacient and tonic are
indicated.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The dose of the iodide of iron, administered in the cases above
referred to, was generally three or four grains two or three times
a day.
Liquor Ferri lodidi.
Solution of Iodide of Iron.
R-. Ferri iodidi, gr. xxiv.
Aquae destillat. ^j. M
Dose.—An ordinary tea-spoonful contains about three grains.
A. T. Thomson.
The following formulas are recommended by Pierquin :f
* Op. cit.
f Journal de Chimie Medicale, p. 310, Mai, 1831.
^34 FERRI IODIDUM.
Vinum Ferri Iodidi.
Wine of Iodide of Iron.
R. Vin. Bordegalens. ffcj.
Ferri iodidi, 5ss. M.
Dose.—A tea-spoonful morning and evening.
Tinctura Ferri Iodidi.
Tincture of Iodide of Iron.
R. Ferri iodidi, 3ij-
Alcoholis,
Aquae aa. 5ij. M.
Dose.—A tea-spoonful morning and evening.
Troschisci Ferri Iodidi.
Lozenges of Iodide of Iron.
R. Ferri iodidi, 5j. (3SS0
Croci pulv. 5ss. (3ij.) '
Sacchar. alb. 5viij. (5iv,)
M. fiant Trochisci No. 240, (120.)
Dose.—Six to ten daily.
Solutio Ferri Iodidi. (French, Eau d'Hydriodate de Fer.)
Solution of Iodide of Iron.
R. Ferri iodidi, 5ss.
Aqua3, fj^ij. M.
Added to enemata, lotions, and injections.
R. Ferri iodidi, ^ss ad ^ij.
Aqua^ destillat. fhj. M.
To be added to a general bath in cases of leucorrhcea, ame-
norrhoca, &c. Pierquin.
FERRI LACTAS.
235
Unguentum Ferri Iodidi.
Ointment of Iodide of Iron.
R. Ferri iodidi, 3iss.
Adipis, 5j. M. ut fiat unguentum.
A piece of the size of a hazelnut to be rubbed, morning and
evening, on the inner part of the thigh, in cases of leucorrhcea
and amenorrhoea.
VII. FERRI LA.CTAS.
Svnonymes.—Lactate of Iron, Lactate of protoxide of Iron.
This preparation has been lately recommended by MM. Gelis
and Conte, internes at La Charite, in Paris, and has been fa-
vourably reported upon by M. Bouillaud, in the name of a com-
mittee, consisting of MM. Bally, Fouquier, and Bouillaud.*
MODE OF PREPARING
MM. Gelis and Conte prepare the lactate of iron by treating
pure iron filings with lactic acid, diluted with water. M. Loura-
dourf extracts the lactic acid from the whey, which Jhe collects
from the dairies in the neighbourhood of Paris, where much
cheese is made. The whey, exposed a long time to fermentation
under the influence of an elevated temperature, becomes charged
with a large quantity of lactic acid. It is evaporated to one-third
or one-fourth of its volume, decanted and filtered; and is then
saturated with milk of lime, which produces an abundant deposit,
chiefly of phosphate of lime. The filtered solution is precipitated
by oxalic acid, and again filtered, and then concentrated to a syrupy
consistence. It is now diluted with alcohol, which precipitates the
lactine and the salts. The solution on being filtered, and the alcohol
distilled off, yields pure lactic acid. The lactate of protoxide of
iron is prepared by digesting in a sand-bath, at a low tempera-
ture, this acid, diluted with water, upon iron filings. At the end
of six or seven hours of the reaction, the liquid is boiled, filtered,
and concentrated; when, on cooling, it deposits crystals. These
crystals, drained on a flannel, and washed with alcohol by dis-
* Bulletin G£n£ral de Th£rapeutique, Mars, 1840.
f Journal de Pharmacie, and Mr. Fred. Brown, in American Journal of
Pliarmacy, July, 1840, p. 121.
236
FERRI LACTAS.
placement, should be rapidly dried, and preserved from any con-
tact with the air.
The salt presents itself under the form of crystalline plates,
very white, and but slightly alterable. It is but sparingly soluble
in water; reddens litmus paper, and possesses the ferruginous
taste in a tolerable degree. When dissolved in water it attracts
oxygen, and quickly becomes yellow.
The sparing solubility of lactate of iron has permitted M. Lou-
radour to simplify still more his process, by omitting the purifica-
tion of the lactic acid by alcohol, and treating it immediately
by the iron filings: the liquor, suitably, evaporated, affords crys-
tals of the lactates: the foreign salts, and the lactine remain in
the mother waters, wdiich are rejected.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
The lactate of iron has been used in the cases in which
the protocarbonate of iron is employed, and chiefly in chlo-
rosis. MM. Gelis and Conte are disposed to refer the beneficial
agency of the protocarbonate, to its becoming lactate of iron in
the stomach, by uniting with the lactic acid, which is one of the
gastric acids. The idea led them to administer the lactate
of iron ready formed. In chlorosis the remedy has been
given by MM. Fouquier, Bally, Beau, Rayer, Nonat, Andral,
Bouillaud, and others, who have collected a great number of
cases which show its success in that disease.*
M. Bouillaudf made trial of the lactate in twenty-one cases,
14 of which were treated at La Charite. One of the last, not
being decidedly chlorotic, may be excluded. Of the thirteen, ten
were females, and 3 males. Of the ten females, eight presented
well marked chlorosis; two were rather anaemic. The dose of
the lactate was carried to six, eight, ten, twelve, and fifteen
lozenges of five centigrammes each in the twenty-four hours.
The remedy was well borne; and it always increased the ap-
petite sensibly.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
MM. Gelis and Conte introduce the freshly prepared lactate of
iron into lozenges, in which the sugar prevents the superoxidation
* Bulletin General de Therapeutique, Mars, 1840; also, La LancetteFran-
gaise, London Lancet, Feb. 8, 1840, p. 707, and Dunglison's American Medi-
cal Intelligencer, April 1, 1840, p. 13.
f Encyclopedic des Sciences Medicales, Mars, 1840, p. 226. Acad6mie
Royale de Medecine de Paris, Seance du 4 Fevrier, 1840.
FERRI NITRAS.
237
of the iron, and preserves the medicine, whilst, at the same time,
a form is given which allows of great facility of administration.
MM. Andral and Fouquier seldom exceed twelve grains of the lac-
tate in the twenty four hours; and M. Bouillaud never gives more
than twenty.
VIII. FERRI NITRAS.
Synonymes.—Ferrum Nitratum, Nitrate of Iron.
LiaUOR FERRI PERSESCIUINITRATIS.
Synonymes.—Liquor seu Solutio Nitratis Ferri, Liquor Ferri Nitrici Oxydati,
Solution of Persesquinitrate of Iron, Solution of Nitrate of Iron.
MODE OF PREPARING.
This preparation, which has been introduced within the last few
years into practice, may be formed in the following manner.
Take of small chips or pieces of iron wire, an ounce and a
half; nitric acid, three ounces by measure; water twenty-seven
ounces; muriatic acid, one dram. Put the iron into an earthen-
ware vessel, and pour on the nitric acid, previously diluted with
fifteen ounces of the water. Set the vessel aside till the whole of
the acid has united with the iron, so as to form a persesquini-
trate, then decant the liquid from the portion of iron, which re-
mains undissolved; strain and filter. Add the muriatic acid with
the remainder of the water, or With as much of that liquid as will
increase the whole solution to thirty ounces.
When the process is finished—which takes some hours—the
liquid has a red colour, so dark, that when viewed by reflected
light, it seems almost black.
Three ounces of nitric acid of the usual strength (1.4) gene-
rally dissolve an ounce of iron, so that when the process is com-
pleted, a portion of the metal remains undissolved. The solution
then consists entirely of the persesquinitrate of iron; and, if
speedily decanted, it may be preserved in that state, but if allowed
to stand for a few hours longer on the iron, it will undergo a
farther change, becoming gradually converted into pernitrate
and protonitrate of iron. The first of these is insoluble, and ren-
ders the liquid turbid; and the latter, which remains dissolved,
has not the medical properties that render the persesquinitrate
valuable. When the solution contains nothing but nitric acid and
peroxide of iron, it slowly undergoes decomposition on standing,
so that, at the end of a few weeks, the whole liquid begins to be-
21
238
FERRI NITRAS.
come turbid. The addition of some muriatic acid prevents this
decomposition, and the quantity sufficient for this purpose is too
small to affect the medicinal powers of the persesquinitrate. The
solution, when properly prepared, is of a beautiful dark red co-
lour, when viewed with transmitted light. Its taste is very
astringent, and not at all caustic*
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
This preparation greatly resembles the solution of the muriate
of iron in its medicinal properties. Mr. Kerr considers, that to
an astringent power it unites the property of diminishing the ir-
ritability and tenderness of the mucous membranes with which it
comes in contact.
Kopp administered it with the greatest success in many cases
of chronic diarrhea that had resisted every approved remedy.
The fceces were blackened by it, as by the preparations of iron in
general. He remarks, however, that it must, be continued for
some time. The dose he gave was ten drops several times a
day in oatmeal gruel, and this was gradually raised to twenty and
twenty-five drops. When the cure was accomplished, the re-
medy was gradually diminished, until it was left off altogether.
Dr. Gravesf speaks in equally high terms of the persesquinitrate
in these cases; and very recently Dr. T. C Adam of Lenawee
county, Michigan, has recorded tbe remarkable assistance, which
he has derived from its use in the treatment of several diseases,
especially diarrhea and other affections of the mucous membranes
accompanied by discharges.,J In chronic diarrhaa depending
mainly on an excess in the sensibility of the organic nerves which
supply the digestive tube, Dr. Adam rarely orders less than fifteen
drops at the commencement, and after a few days' employment of
the remedy, he increases the quantity to twenty, twenty-five and
thirty drops.
In leucorrhaa occurring in such as are pale, exanguious, feeble
and languid, the internal, conjoined with the external, use of the
persesquinitrate has been found very advantageous. In these cases,
Dr. Adam adds such a quantity of water as a diluent as will still
leave in the vagina a gentle degree of heat or smarting.
Dr. Adam recommends it also in cases of aphthous sores; and
he affirms that its application has afforded relief in toothach.
It is doubtless a powerful astringent, but it is questionable
whether it possess any advantage over the solution of the muriate
of iron.
* Mr. Kerr, in American Journal of the Medical Sciences, for May, 1832,
cited from the Edinb. Med. and Surgical Journal.
f Clinical Lectures, Dunglison's Amer. Med. Library Edition,p. 128. Phila.
2.838.
X American Journal of the Medical Sciences, May, 1839, p. 61.
FERRI OXYDUM HYDRA TUM.
239
IX. FERRI OXYDUM HYDRATUM.
Synonymes.—Hydras Ferricus, Ferrum Oxydatum Hydratum, Hydro-oxide
of Iron, Hydroxide of Iron, Hydrated Oxide of Iron, Hydrated Peroxide of
Iron, Hydrated Tritoxide of Iron, Hydrated Sesquioxide of Iron.
German.—Eisenoxydhydrat.
The hydrated oxide of iron has been recently introduced into
practice as an antidote to white arsenic. Dr. Bunsen, of Gdttin-
gen, had already made frequent experiments with it, which satis-
fied him that it was an efficacious agent, when, along with Dr.
Berthold* he subjected it to fresh trials. The results of their in-
vestigations were published, and since then it has received due
attention every where.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
The best mode of preparing it, according to Dr. Bunsen, is to
take a solution of pure sulphate of iron, increase its dose of oxygen
by treating it with nitric acid, and precipitate the oxide by adding
pure ammonia in excess, washing the precipitate. In order not to
deprive the precipitate of its water, and to diminish its loose state
of aggregation as little as possible, it is not filtered, but is put
aside for a few days, until the precipitate is wholly deposited, after
which the supernatant fluid is poured off. It is then kept in well-
stopped vessels.
Ilieckef has added the formula for pharmaciens, which is re-
commended by Von Specz:—
&. Vitrioli ferri purl crystallizali libram; teratur in pulv. subtiliss. et
detur in vas. porcellan. aut murrhinum, impositum balneo arenae, dein
adde acidi nitrici concentrati Jfess; terantur ope baculi vitrei usque dum
massa resolvitur in pultem ; nunc, igne animato, massae pultaceae calidae
affunde sensim terendo, sensim acid.nilric. concentrat. q. s. donee nul-
lum amplius evolvatur gas nitrosum. Massa tunc leni igne evaporetur
ad siccitatem et solvatur demum in aq. destill. q. s.; solutioni filtratae
instilletur ammonise purse q. s. donee precipitatio cesset; stent nunc per
horam unam alteramve et liquor limpidus a sedimento bruneo decantetur ;
massae residuae fundum petenti adfunde aq. destillat. ftiij. et agitentur;
nunc filtra, et praecipitatum in filtro aq. destill. q. s. edulcora donee aqua
insipida defluat. Praecipitatum bene edulcoratum in umbra siccatum
convertat. in pulv. subtilissim. qui servetur vase vitreo bene clauso.J
* Das Eisenoxydhydrat, ein Gepengift der arsenigen S&ure. Getting. 1834.
t Die neuern Arzneimittel, S. 227. Stuttgart, 1837.
X " Take of pure crystallised sulphate of iron a pound: rub it into a subtle
powder, and place it in a porcelain or glass vessel in a sand-bath; then add
240
FERRI OXYDUM HYDRATUM.
Lassaigne advises it to be prepared as follows:—Take iron
filings; pour gradually upon them four times their weight of the
nitric acid of commerce in small portions. Heat is thereby de-
veloped, and deutoxide of azote, which is transformed by the at-
mospheric air into nitrous acid vapours. When the evolution of
gas has ceased, ten or twelve parts of water are added; the mix-
ture is then filtered, and ammonia added until the mixture begins
to exhibit an alkaline reaction. The precipitate, thus formed, is
the hydrated oxide of iron, which is collected on the filter, and
washed with boiling water until it is tasteless, and ceases to exhibit
any alkaline characters.
The mode of preparation, recommended by Majeste, agrees
with this, except that he boils one part of iron filings with four of
nitric acid and four of muriatic acid.
The following form has been advised by Dr. William R.
Fisher,* who asserts that it was subjected to practice by Mr.
Durand, an able pharmacien of Philadelphia, who obtained a
perfect result, witb a satisfactory economy of material. Take
of sulphuric acid (67° Baume) 8 oz. or 16 parts; iron wire, 8 oz.
or 16 parts; nitric acid, (49° Baume,) hh oz. or 11 parts; water
of ammonia, as much as is sufficient; water, a gallon and a half,
or 384 parts. Mix the sulphuric acid with the wTater in a glass
vessel. Add the iron, and after tbe effervescence has ceased,
filter. Add the nitric acid in divided portions, and apply heat so
long as orange coloured fumes are given off. To the heated so-
lution, pour in the water of ammonia until a decided excess has
been added; then wash the precipitate by decantation, until the
washings give no precipitate with nitrate of baryta. The water
is then to be drawn off until just enough remains to give the con-
sistence of thick cream. It is not injured by keeping, as some
have presumed.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
If a solution of arsenious acid be decomposed by fresh precipi-
tated oxyhydrate of iron suspended in water, traces of arsenic
half a pound of concentrated nitric acid ; stir them with a glass rod until the
mass is resolved into a soft paste; then—the fire being raised—pour gradually
on the hot pultaceous mass concentrated nitric acid, until no more nitrous gas
is evolved. Let the mass be evaporated by a gentle heat to dryness, and at
last be dissolved in a sufficient quantity of distilled water. Into the filtered so-
lution drop pure ammonia as long as any precipitate occurs; let it now stand
tor an hour or two, and then pour off the limpid liquor from the brown sediment.
On the residuary mass, remaining at the bottom, pour three pounds of distilled
water, and shake them together: filter and wash the precipitate on the filter
with distilled water, until the water is tasteless. The well-washed precipitate
dried in the shade forms a subtle powder, which may be kept in a well closed
vessel."
* The American Journal of Pharmacy, Vol. vi. No. 1, April, 1840.
FERRI OXYDTJM HYDRATUM.
241
can no longer be detected in the filtered liquid, made acid and
tested by a stream of sulphuretted hydrogen gas. To throw
down one part of arsenic, in this manner, requires a quantity of
the oxyhydrate, which contains at least ten or twelve parts of
oxide of iron. Yet, even where a smaller quantity is employed,
the arsenious acid is almost wholly separated, as a stream of sul-
phuretted hydrogen gas affords only very slight traces of sul-
phuret of arsenic in the filtered and acidulated liquid. When the
substances are previously heated, or the arsenious acid is exposed
in small portions to the precipitating agent, the reaction is still
slighter. If a few drops of ammonia be added to water in which the
oxyhydrate of iron is suspended, and the mixture be digested with
finely powdered arsenious acid, an insoluble arsenite of iron is
formed; a circumstance, which would encourage the belief—even
had it not been sanctioned by experience—that freshly prepared
oxyhydrate of iron may serve as an antidote to arsenic: the union
between it and arsenious acid forming—as. we have seen—an
insoluble compound, devoid of all poisonous influence on the
economy, and only exciting gastric oppression, when given in
large doses.
Accurate microscopical investigation in experiments on ani-
mals that had taken arsenious acid in the solid form mixed with
the oxyhydrate, exhibited to the discoverer of the antidote, that,.
under the influence of animal heat and the peristaltic motion,
it had become completely converted into the arsenite of iron, and
thus rendered innocuous. Such was the result of the observa-
tions of Boulet,* Orfila, Chevalier, Lassaigne, Soubeiran and
Miquel,f Nonat, Borelli and Demaria,^ Lesueur, Boulay, fils,§
Monod,|| Von Specs and Mackenzie.8!! On the other hand, the
experiments of Brett,** Reginald Orton,ff and Cramer, were un-
favourable; but Messrs. Bunsen and Berthold remark, that the
experiments of those gentlemen could not be expected to be suc-
cessful, as they were made with doses of arsenic of from two to
nine grains; and the stomach of the rabbit cannot retain more
than from one ninth to. one half the quantity of the antidote pre-
pared according to their formula, which is necessary to neutral-
ise that quantity of the poison.
Messrs. Bunsen and Berthold, from the results they have ob-
tained, recommend the oxyhydrate as the chief antidote in all
* Gnzette Med'cale de Paris, 1834.
f Bullet. General de Thernp. Dec. 1834.
{ Br. and For. Med. Rev. April, 1836, p. 594.
5 Journal Hobdom. des Pmgres des Sciences Medic. Mars 14, 1835.
|| Gazette Medicale, Auat & De Lens, Diet, de Mat. Med. Art. Polypodium.
t Nouvelle Bibliotheque Medicale, Sept. 1828, p. 151, and Biblioth. Univer.
xxxi. 324,1826.
FILIX MAS.
247
matter, green and red colouring matter, and a semi-resinous sub-
stance. By some it is called the Oleum Filicis Maris. The ac-
tive constituents of the fern are highly concentrated in it; and as
the result of numerous trials, it was found, that from eighteen to
twenty grains, given at night, and the same quantity in the morn-
ing fasting destroyed taenia?, so that on the administration of a
cathartic, the parasite was discharged—often in the form of a
ball. Not unfrequently, indeed, it was voided before the cathar-
tic was given.
In Germany, this new preparation has been chiefly recom-
mended by Hufeland, who maintained, that in rapidity, certainty
and gentleness of action, it exceeds all known means, and many
other physicians have testified to the accuracy of this opinion.
Radius,* who frequently prescribed it, says he never gave it with-
out bringing away large pieces of the worm, but frequently the
head remained behind.f
BuchnerJ thought, tbat the extract might be prepared with al-
cohol, but many physicians have objected to this menstruum,—
that it does not dissolve the fixed oil.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The extract is commonly given in the form of pill; emulsion
does not answer, because the active constituents are apt to be
enveloped and masked in this form. In Geneva, it is now fre-
quently united with castor oil, this renders it unnecessary to give
a cathartic after it. For the cathartic when needed, they advise
in Bern, infusion of senna with epsom salts, manna, and aniseed.§
To children it may be given in syrup.
Mel. Filicis Maris.
Honey of the Male Fern.
R. Ext. aether, filicis maris, 3ss.
Mellis rosat. 5ss. M.
Half of this to be taken on going to bed; the other half early
in the morning fasting.
* Auserlesene Heilformeln, u. s. w. Leipz. 1836.
f See, also, Ebers, in Hufeland & Osann's Journal, lxvi. St. 1. S. 43, and
Gazette de Sante, Sept. 25, 1828.
X Repertorium far Pharmacie, xxiii. 433, xxvii. 337, and Funk, in Medicin.
Zeitung, Mai, 17, 1837, S. 102.
} Hufeland unci Osann's Journal, lxiv. St. 1. S. 133.
248
FUCUS CRISPUS.
FUCUS CRISPUS.
Synonymes. Lichen Carrageen, Chondrus Crispus, Sphserococcus Crispus,
Ulva Crispa, Chondrus Polymorphus, Irish Moss, Carrageen or Corigeen
Moss.
French. Mousse d'Irlande, Mousse Perlee.
German. Krauser Tang, Seetang.
Although the carrageen or Irish moss has long been used in
Ireland, it was but little employed in other parts of Europe, or in
this country, until within the last few years. Of late, it has been
used precisely in those cases in which the Lichen Islandicus, or
Iceland moss has been deemed appropriate. In Germany, the
first trials were made with it in the year 1833, by Von Grafe of
Berlin, and the results were given to the world in his report for
that year,* of the Clinical surgical and ophthalmic Institute, at-
tached to the Frederick William University.
The fucus crispus, which belongs to the natural family Alga:,
exists in the Atlantic Ocean, on the coasts of England, Ireland,
western France, Spain, and Portugal, and as far as the tropics. It
is also said to be a native of the United States. It is met with
more abundantly, however, in Ireland, when it is used by the poor
as an article of diet. It is thrown on the shore by the waves, and
is gathered at the time of the ebb.
The Irish moss, when fresh, is green, and somewhat resembles
the Iceland moss; but when dried, as we meet with it in com-
merce, it is of a bright yellow, and resembles laminae of horn,
crisped, translucent, and frequently containing small shells, calca-
reous concretions, and grains of sand. It has not much taste; the
smell seems to betray iodine, which, however, has not been de-
tected in it. When the moss is chewed, it feels like so much car-
tilage, but, by the moisture and warmth of the mouth, it soon
loses its brittieness. It contains little sea salt, but a good deal of
sulphate of soda.f
The jelly obtained from it is transparent and colourless; its taste
is by no means disagreeable; it keeps several days, and is not
converted by muriatic acid into mucus, like the jelly which is
obtained from land plants. In its nature it is esteemed to be
* Bericht iiber das klinische chir. augenarztliche Institut. der k. Friedr.
VVilh. Univers. fur d. J. 1833. Berl. 1834.
f E. Grafe in Art. Fucus, Encyclopad. Worterb. der medicinischen Wissen-
schaft. xiii. S. 1. Berlin, 1835.
FUCUS CRISPUS.
249
nearly allied to animal mucus.* It is easy of digestion, is readily
borne by weak and irritable stomachs, and exerts a soothing in-
fluence on the air passages and the intestinal canal.
In order to obtain it, the moss is cut small, carefully cleared
from impurities, boiled with the selected vehicle, and strained.
Von Grafe obtained, from nine ounces of milk boiled with half a
dram of the moss, five ounces of jelly; and as much from a dram
and a half of the moss and twelve ounces of water. The for-
mula, commonly used by him, is given below. To this jelly may
be added any dietetic or remedial agent, which may be considered
indicated in the particular case.f
t EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
The fucus crispus is used in the affections that are considered
to be benefited by the Iceland moss. As a diet, it is given in
consumptive cases, and wherever there is erethism in the respira-
tory or digestive apparatus. In diarrhea it is sometimes given
along with astringent or other remedies. The jelly has been ad-
vised as a diet in scrofulous cases.
Von Grafe affirms, that he has often found it serviceable in
hoarseness, in dry spasmodic cough, consumption, diarrhea, and
dysentery, in the intestinal pain, which remains after inflamma-
tion and ulceration of these parts, and after poison has been taken;
in diseases accompanied by much emaciation, and in the prostra-
tion ensuing on serious diseases and operations. In similar af-
fections it has been extolled by Hufeland.J On the other hand,
Heyfelder affirms, that not only he, but many physicians of his ac-
quaintance have used the moss without either good or evil re-
sults in phthisis, as well as in erethism of the respiratory and di-
gestive organs; and Riecke§ remarks, that as it makes a very
agreeable jelly, when boiled with milk, and with the addition of
a little of the aqua laurocerasi, it may do for cases where we
must prescribe " ut fecisse aliquid videamur."
The truth is that it can render no more service than other sub-
stances which contain a similar principle, and accordingly but
few prescribe it with any other view than as a demulcent and
nutritious aliment, in cases where such is needed.
* Lucae, in Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimittel, S. 234. Stuttgart, 1837.
f See L. Feuchtwanger, in Philad. Journ. of Pharm. vi. 204. Philad.
1833-4.
X Hufeland und Osann's Journ. der practiech. Heilkund. B. 77, St. 5,
p. 135.
J Op. cit. S. 235.
22
250
FUCUS CRISPUS.
Adde
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
Decoctum Fuci Crispi.
Decoction of Irish Moss.
R. Fuci crispi elect, et concis. Jss.
Lact. vaccin. recent. 5ix.
Coq. ad remanent, colatur. ±v.
Sacchar. albissim. ±ss. ad ±i.
Aq. amygdal. amar. concentr. 9i.
To be taken in the course of the day. Von Graefe.
R. Fuci crispi elect, et concis. 3iss.
Coq. cum aq. font. 5xij. ad remanent, colat. ^v.
Syrup, rubi. idaei $iss. ad 5ij.
Aq. amygd. amar. concentr. 9j.
To be used through the day. When employed as diet, Von
Grafe allows from ten to eighteen ounces of the jelly in the day.
R. Fuci crisp, (elect, et concis.) 5ss.
Coque cum aq. font q. s. ad reman. 5vj.
Colatur. adde
Sodse phosphat. 3iss.
Syrup opii, gij. ad 5iij.
Dose.—A spoonful every two hours in cases of haemoptysis.
between the attacks. Clarus.
R. Lactis vaccini, 5xxiv.
Fuci crisp, ^iv.
Sacch. alb. 5j.
Cort. cinnam. cont. 9j.
Coque per minut. x. leni igne; filtr. et exprime.
Beral.
R. Fuci crisp, (elect, et concis.) zij.
Coque cum lactis fhj. ad consist, gelatin.
Tere cum
Sacch. alb. 5ij.
Amygdal. amar. No. 2.
To be used in the course of the day, and daily. Hufeland.
FULIGO.
251
FULIGO.
Synonymes. Fuligo Splendens, F. Ligni, Soot, Woodsoot.
French. Suie.
German. Glanzruss, Spiegelruss, Kaminruss, Ofenruss, Russ.
The discovery of creasote, and its extensive application to the
treatment of disease, gave occasion to the resuscitation of this
article—much employed by the ancients, but subsequently fallen
into oblivion.
The older physicians frequently used soot as an exciting, dia-
phoretic agent in cachexia of every kind, in chronic rheumatism,
cutaneous affections, and especially in the evil results of their
sudden repercussion; in glandular indurations, rickets, exostoses,
&c. It has also been employed as a domestic remedy, in colic,
and in the simple and dysenteric diarrhea, and cholera of chil-
dren. Several modern recommendations—as by Schiitte and
Weisenberg—remained unheeded until the attention of physicians
was recently drawn to it, especially by Blaud.* He is of opi-
nion, that the costly—and by no means easily prepared—creasote
may be wholly replaced by soot. Both are products of the dry
distillation of organic substances; their odours are analogous, and
as soot is much cheaper and more easily obtained, it deserves, he
thinks, to be tried more extensively in therapeutics. The soot
has a nauseously empyreumatic, more or less bitter and acrid,
saline taste.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
Blaudf has exhibited the soot in different diseases, especially in
the form of ointment, or in decoction, with excellent and rapid
effects, in herpes, itch, tinea, gutta rosacea and pruritus vulva;
and he asserts, that he even healed a cancer of the breast by fre-
quent ablution with a tepid decoction of it, and an ointment com-
posed of equal parts of lard and soot with one eighth part of the
extract of belladonna; but the same applications were of no bene-
fit in a case of cancer of the nose, and in one of cancer of the
uterus. He also cured a scabby eruption of the mucous membrane
of the nose by an ointment of soot. In diphtheritis, he used, in
■»-wo cases, a decoction of soot as a mouth-wash with the best
effects.
* Revue Medicale, Juin, 1834 et Janvier, 1835, and Dr. E. Grafe, in Grafe
und Walther's Journal, xxiii. 310. Berlin, 1835.
f Journal des Connaissances Medico-Chirurg. Mai, 1834.
252 FULIGO.
Iii confirmation of Blaud's remarks, Voisin asserts, that he
cured a case of cancer of the face by the soot ointment.
Dr. J. R. Marinus* has found it very efficacious in chronic
eruptions (dartres,) and in tinea, and his observations have been
confirmed by M. Nobele.f His conclusions are,—1. That soot
cannot be applied with any expectation of success, until the crusts
have been removed, and the irritation of the parts diminished by
means of emollient applications. 2. That the gray layer left by
the soot on the skin, whether it be used in the form of ointment
or of decoction should be removed by a weak wash of soap and
water. 3. That in children an ointment made with equal parts
of soot and lard, is frequently too irritating for the small wounds
exposed by the falling off of the crusts; that it is better to com-
mence with one part of soot to three parts of lard; and, lastly.
that wood soot is alone useful; that from coal being devoid of any
agency.
Carron du VillardsJ advises a collyrium prepared from soot in
cases of strumous ophthalmia. He infuses two ounces of soot in
boiling water, filters and evaporates to dryness; the shining resi-
duum is then infused in very strong boiling vinegar, and to every
twelve ounces of the liquid, twenty-four grains of extract of roses
are added. A few drops of this solution, in a glass of tepid
water, form an excellent resolutive collyrium, which may be
made stronger or weaker at pleasure. He has, also, in cases of
spots on the cornea, used soot—either blown into the eye alone,
or mixed with powdered sugar-candy, and has seen good effects
from it. United with butter it forms an eyesalve, not inferior, he
says, perhaps to any other. As, in the treatment of specks on
the cornea by dropping laudanum into the eye, the organ quickly
becomes accustomed to it, Carron du Villards advises, that the
eye should be excited to a more lively action by means of the
combination of soot and tincture of opium given below. It is, he
says, an energetic agent and may be applied by means of a pen-
cil to the granulations on the cornea. He likewise recommends
a decoction of soot as an injection in discharges which are the
consequence of chronic inflammation of the vagina.
More recently, M. Andre Gibrin|| has detailed to the Academie
Royale de Medecine of Paris, six cases of chronic inflammation
of the bladder in which soot was beneficially used in the way of
injection. He took from the chimney two ounces of compact
soot, broke it up, washed it, and boiled it in a pound of water.
* Bulletin Medical. Beige, Nov. 1838, p. 289.
f Annales de la Societe de Medecine de Gand, Gazette Medicale, and En-
cyclographie des Sciences Medicales, Mars, 1840, p. 540.
X Gazette Medicale, Janvier, 1831; see, also, Baudelocque, on its use in
Scrofulous Ophthalmia, in Bulletin General de Therapeutique. Mars, 1834.
|| Bulletin de l'Academie, 15 Mars, 1837.
FULIGO.
253
The decoction was filtered through paper, and injected into the
bladder twice a day. The good effects supervened so closely on
the administration of the remedy, that there could be no doubt as
to the cause. The pain ceased, and the patient obtained sleep,
to which he had been for some time a stranger. The urine gra-
dually became clear, and recovered its natural appearance.
To these remarks it may be added, that, according to Schiitte,
an ointment composed of two parts of fresh butter or hog's lard,
and one part of soot, is a popular and efficacious remedy on the
Rhine for cases of porrigo, itch, and herpes; not more than a
dram being rubbed in at a time. Weisenberg ascribes to the soot
a protective power against contagious affections of the skin, and
recommends, especially, lotions of soot water,—partly as a pre-
ventive agent, and partly as a therapeutical application in itch.
But the soot has not been used, of late, externally only; its in-
ternal use, in the form of the old " tincture of soot," has been re-
vived. This was long known under the name of " soot drops "
and " fit drops," and was employed as an antispasmodic in hys-
terical and other affections; but its employment has been extended,
and it is given in Chronic rheumatism, chronic affections of the
chest, suppressed cutaneous eruptions,—in many cases under pre-
cisely the same notions that prevailed years ago. From, thirty
to sixty drops of the following tincture are given several times in
the course of the day.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
Mistura Fuliginis.
Tinctura Fuliginis {Clauderi.)
Mixture of Soot.
R. Fulig. splend. ~ss.
Potassac carbonat. riss.
Ammoniee carb. 3'j-
Aq. sambuc. 2ix,
Tfigere leni calore. Filtra.
Dose.—From thirty to sixty drops several times a day.
Loto Fuliginis.
Lotion of Soot.
R. Fulig. splend. manip. maj. ij.
Coque cum. aq. font. ftbj per semihoram. Cola cum expressione.
Used as a wash, several times a day, in herpetic, psoric and
syphilitic ulcers. Blaud.
22*
254 FULIGO.
Unguentum Fuliginis.
Ointment of Soot.
R. Fulig. splend.
Adipis, aa. ?ss.
Extract, belladon. 3j. M. exacte,
To be spread upon lint or tents in cases of cancers. Blaud.
R. Adipis.
Fulig. splendent, aa. ±ij.
Coque leni igne per horas vj.
As a dressing in cases of tinea, and of foul ulcers. Blaud.
R. Carbon, pulv.
Sulph. depur. aa. 5j.
Fulig. splend.
Cort. Peruv. flav. aa. Sss.
Cerati simplicis q. s. ut fiat unguentum.
A dram to be rubbed in, once or twice a day, in cases of tinea.
Carron du Villards.
R. Opii, Jij.
Caryoph. arom. xj.
Fulig. splend. loti, ^ss.
Aq. cinnam. 5viij.
Alcoholis, ?iv.
Digest in a gentle heat for six days; filter and express the residuum.
Applied in cases of specks on the cornea.
Carron du Villards.
R. Fulig. ^ij.
Album, ovi, No. vj.
Tere simul.
As a dressing for herpes and tinea. It is the Pommade resolu-
tive of Sainte Marie.*
R. Fulig. ^iss.
Zinci. sulphat. 3yj.
Adipis, liv. M.
* Nouveau Formulaire Medicale et Pharmaceutique. Paris et Lyon, 1820.
GALEOPSIS grandiflora. 255
Applied in cases of tinea. It is the Pommade contre la teigne,
of Bories.*
GALEOPSIS GRANDIFLORA; (SUMMITATES.)
Synonymes—Galeopsis Ochroleuca, G. Villosa, G. Segetum, Herba Sideri-
tidis.
German.—Grossblfithigen Holzahns, Grossblumigte Hanfnessel.
This plant, which belongs to the natural family Labiatse, and in
the Linncean system to Didynamia Gymnospermia, grows in the
western part of Germany, in sandy cornfields.f
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
The fresh plant has a peculiar, feeble, balsamic smell, and a
somewhat bitter and saltish taste, and has been considered, in
Germany to be worthy of a distinguished place amongst the "bitter
resolvents."
It has been much sold as a nostrum, under the name of" Blank-
enheimer Tea," (Blankenheimer Thee,) or " Liebers pectoral and
phthisical herbs," (Liebersche Brust oder Auszehrungskrauter,)
and enjoyed great repute. In the Ardennes, also, particularly in
the district of Malmedy, it has been long employed as a popular
remedy. In the year 1828, LejeuneJ directed attention to the
therapeutical importance of this plant. According to his observa-
tion, it is very useful in diseases of the mucous membrane of the
respiratory and digestive organs, and especially in chronic pulmo-
nary catarrh, even when it exists to such a degree as to merit the
name Phthisis mucosa (Schleimschwindsucht.) In actual phthisis
the affection seemed to him to be diminished by it; the hectic being
moderated, the expectoration rendered easier, or the cough as-
suaged.
Lejeune generally boiled half an ounce of the plant in a pint of
water down to half; sweetened the decoction with sugar or honey,
and directed the whole to be taken in the twenty-four hours. In
other cases, in which a milk diet was appropriate, the decoction
* Formulaire de Montpellier. Montpelher, 1822.
f Von Schlechtendal, in Encyclopad. Worterb. der medicin. Wissenschaft.
xiii. 115. Berlin, 1835.
X Annales Generates des Sciences physiques, p. 331. Sepr. 1820.
256
GALEOPSIS GRANDIFLORA.
was made with an equal quantity of milk. Wesener* found it
advantageous in phthisis mucosa, and in chronic pulmonary ca-
tarrh. Giinther, who had many opportunities for observing the
action of the remedy, affirms, that the Lieberschen Kriiuter not
unfrequently produced some amelioration in phithisis, especially in
scrofulous phthisis, but he never saw any actual recovery there-
from. It seemed to him to moderate the colliquative sweats, and
to facilitate and diminish the expectoration. In one case especially,
of scrofulous phthisis, in the last stage, it appeared to be of essen-
tial service, and to prolong life; and from all his observations
he is disposed to infer, that if it is not the sole or the main remedy
to be employed in .every stage of phthisis, it may be used with ad-
vantage throughout the disease as a supporting agent.
Rieckef asserts, that he has seen many cases in which the Lie-
berschen Kriiuter were of great service in thoracic affections
threatening phthisis. In one case, which promised to terminate
unfavourably in a short time, owing to the complication of violent
hamoptysis with hectic fever, and in which an experienced phy-
sician had exhausted every effort of art, they were given with the
best effect. The thoracic affection ceased, and at this time—a
period of five or six years since the use of the remedv—the patient
—an officer—is capable of performing his military "duties without
difficulty. On the other hand, Richter affirms, that in two cases
in which he administered the galeopsis, no benefit resulted from it.
In this country it has not been employed ; so that we can only judge
from the testimony afforded by the German writers. This, as they
themselves admit,J is not yet sufficient to enable them to lay down
any positive rules as to the exact indications and counter-indica-
tions that must regulate its employment. It is probably of no
farther service than as a mild bitter, and its place may, therefore,
be supplied, perhaps advantageously, by manv of the" tonics that
are admitted into the lists of our remedial agents. Geiger§ sub-
jected it to analysis, and found in it 2,765 parts of fatty matter,
wax and chlorophylle; 0.247 of a brown bitterish resin, insoluble
in ether; 0.312 of a yellowish stimulating and bitter resin, soluble
in ether; yellow bitter extractive matter, soluble in ether, and a
brownish matter insoluble therein; phosphate and malate of lime;
salts of potassa; muco-saccharine matter and fecula, and 65.882
of ligneous matter.
* Hufeland und Osann's Journ. der pract. Heilk. 1823 and 1824
f Die neuem Arzneimittel, u. s. w. S. 241. Stuttyart, 1837
X Ibid.
§ Magaz. fur Pharmacie, ix. 134.
GENTIANINA. *57
METHOD OF ADMINISTERING.
Decoctum Galeopsidis Grandiflora.
R. Summitat. galeopsid. grandif. |j.
Boil in a pint of water for a quarter of an hour and strain.
To be used in the twenty-four hours. Wesener.
R. Summitat. galeop. grandifl.
Rad. althaeae, aa. ^j.
----glycyrrhiz. 3ij- M.
The fourth part of this to be boiled in a pint and a half of water.
To be used daily in chronic catarrh, and in the expectoration
produced by the softening of pulmonary tubercles. R^DIUS-*
The galeopsis versicolor, and the galeopsis villosa, which have
also been examined by Geiger,T appear to be possessed of the
same virtues as the galeopsis grandiflora.%
GENTIANINA.
Synonymes ■—Gentianeina, Gentiania, Gentia, Gentianeine, Gentianinum, Gen-
tianin, Gentianine.
The peculiar bitter principle of the root of the gentiana lutea,
or yellow gentian, was discovered at the same time by M. Hen-
ry,^ chef de la Pharmacie centrale of Paris, and by M. Caventou.
Their results, indeed, were so identical, that it almost seemed as
if they had acted in concert, and they therefore agreed to furnish
them conjointly. According to these gentlemen, the gentiana
lutea contains—1. A very fugacious odorous principle; 2. A yel-
low bitter principle, (gentianin;) 3. A matter identical with
birdlime; 4. A fixed oil; 5. A greenish substance; 6. A free or-
ganic acid; 7. Uncrystallisable sugar; 8. Gum; 9. A yellow
* Auserlesene Heilformeln, u. s. w. Leipz. 1836.
t Allgem. med. Annalen, S. 1141. 1825.
t Richter's Specielle Therapie, B. x. S. 397. Berlin, 1828.
} Journal de Pharmacie, torn. v.
*uo GENTIANINA.
colouring matter; and, 10. Woody fibre.* Schrader discovered
in addition, a resinous and narcotic principle, and M. Planche
affirms, that he detected the latter.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
Powdered gentian is digested in water in the cold. At the end
of forty-eight hours a yellowish green tincture is obtained, which
must be filtered, and the liquid be sufficiently concentrated by ex-
posure to heat in an open vessel. It then forms, on cooling, a
yellow crystalline mass, which possesses strongly the taste and
odour of gentian. This mass is digested in alcohol, until it ceases
to yield a lemon colour. The products of the washings are added
together, and exposed to a slight heat; the yellow crystalline mass
reappears, which, towards the end of the evaporation, becomes
solid. The mass is very bitter. It is then redigested in weak
alcohol, which redissolves all, except a certain quantity of oily
matter. . This last alcoholic solution contains, in addition to the
bitter principle of the gentian, its odorous matter, and also an acid
substance. By evaporating the liquor to dryness, dissolving the
residue in water, adding a little well burned and washed magne-
sia thereto, and by boiling and evaporating in a water bath, the
greater part of the odorous matter of the gentian may be driven
off. The bitter acid is also taken up by the magnesia, and the
yellow bitter principle remains partly free, and partly combined
with the magnesia, to which it gives a beautiful yellow colour.
1 he greater part of the bitter principle may then be obtained
pure and isolated, by boiling the magnesia in ether, and evapo-
rating the solution. If it be desirable to separate still more of the
bitter principle, which the ether has failed to take from the mag-
nesia, this maybe done by digesting in enough oxalic acid to make
the liquor acidulous. The acid unites with the magnesia, and
the bitter principle which is set free may be obtained by the means
above mentioned.
Gentianin is yellow, inodorous, and possesses very strongly the
aromatic bitterness of gentian, especially when dissolved in an
acid. It is very soluble in ether and in alcohol; and may be se-
parated from them by spontaneous evaporation, in the form of
very small, yellow, needle-like crystals. It is much less soluble
in cold water, which it renders, however, very bitter. Boiling
water has more action on it. Its colour is much deepened by the
dilute alkalies, which dissolve rather more of it than water does.
Acids weaken its yellow colour. Concentrated sulphuric acid
* Journal General de Medecine, torn. Ixxiv, and Magendie's Formula!
GENTIANINA.
259
carbonises it, and destroys its bitterness. When exposed in a
glass tube to the heat of boiling mercury, it is partly decom-
posed, and partly sublimed, in the form of small, yellow, crystal-
line needles. It does not sensibly change the colour of litmus
paper, either when blue, or reddened by an acid, but seems to
be neutral. Henry and Caventou esteem it an acid; Richard, an
alkali.
It would seem that the experiments of MM. Trommsdorf and
Leconte have demonstrated decisively, that gentianin, prepared
according to the process of M. Henry, cannot be regarded as the
active part of gentian.* Professor Dulk, of Konigsberg, recom-
mends the following process for separating it:—The coarse
powder of the root is treated with alcohol; the alcohol is distilled
off, and the residuum dissolved in water. The solution is filtered;
and the undissolved matter, treated with ether, furnishes a clear
tincture, from which, by spontaneous evaporation, is procured
the gentianin of M. Henry, entirely insipid. The aqueous so-
lution has a very bitter taste, and is fermented to separate the
sugar, which cannot easily be done in any other manner. The
liquid is then precipitated by the neutral acetate of lead; and the
precipitate is separated: into the bitter liquid filtered is poured
basic acetate of lead, and a little ammonia, to precipitate the
combination of vegetable matter with the oxide of lead ; but care
must be taken not to add too much ammonia, because the latter,
as a stronger base, will withdraw the vegetable matter from the
oxide of lead. A yellow precipitate is obtained, which is washed
in small quantities of water, as in a larger quantity the combina-
tion is decomposed. The precipitate is dissolved in water, and
decomposed by a current of sulphuretted hydrogen gas. It is fil-
tered, and the solution evaporated, at a moderate temperature, to
dryness: the residue is treated with alcohol, s. g. .820; filtered
and by evaporation a mass is procured, which presents no trace
of crystallisation.
This gentianin is a brownish yellow matter. Dried and tri-
turated, it affords a yellow powder, and possesses the bitter taste
of the root in the highest degree. It is hygrometric; almost in-
soluble in absolute alcohol; more soluble in common alcohol and
very soluble in water. It reddens litmus paper; heated, it melts,
swells up, and burns without any residuum. It contains no azote!
In its reaction and relation to bases, it approaches the acids.
* Journal de Pharmacie, Dec. 1838.
260
GENTIANINA.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
Gentianin, according to the experiments of Magendie, is not
possessed of any poisonous qualities. Several grains, injected into
the venous system, produced no apparent effect. He himself
swallowed two grains dissolved in alcohol, and the only incon-
venience which he experienced, was an extremely bitter taste,
and a slight sense of heat in the stomach. It does not seem to
possess any advantages over the gentian itself.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
Magendie recommends a tincture and a syrup. Either of them
may be substituted for the officinal tincture of gentian, wherever
the latter is considered to be indicated. The syrup he regards as
one of the best bitters that can be prescribed in scrofulous affec-
tions, and he asserts, that he has observed permanently good effects
from it. He does not give the dose of the gentianin,—which
Radius* fixes at from one to four grains twice a day.
Tinctura Gentianina.
Tincture of Gentianin,
R. Alcohol. 24° (.903) §j.
Gentianin. gr. v.
Digere.
Magendie.
Syrupus Gentianina.
Syrup of Gentianin.
R. Syrup, simplic. fhj.
Gentianin. gr. xvj. M.
Magendie.
* Auserlesene Heilformeln, u. s. w. Leipz. 1836,
GRANATUM.
261
GRANATUM (CORTEX RADICIS.)
Synonymes. Punica Granatum, Malogranatum, Pomegranate, (the bark of
the root.)
French. Grenadier, Balaustier.
German. Granatbaum, (Granatwurzelrinde.)
The Punica Granatum appears to be a native of the northern
coast of Africa, whence it was transported to Italy at the time of
the Carthaginian wars. It is now cultivated in all civilised re-
gions, where the climate is sufficiently warm to allow the fruit to
ripen. It belongs to the natural family Myrtaceas, and, in the
Linnsean system, to the class Icosandria, order Monogynia.
All the parts of the plant contain more or less tannin. The bark
of the root is externally of a yellowish gray or ash colour; inter-
nally it is yellow, and has an astringent taste. According to
Latour de Trie,* it contains wax, chlorophylle, a considerable
quantity of resin, gallic acid, tannin, fatty matter, and a peculiar
matter called Grenadine,—in German, Granatin.
This grenadine, in its pure state, is of a white colour; inodorous,
and of a sweetish taste; so much so indeed, that, according to
Magendie, it might be presumed to be a variety of sugar, except
that it differs from ordinary sugar in being devoid of the property
of fermenting. According to the degree of its purity, it crystal-
lises in grains, tufts or stars. When thrown on red-hot coals, it
consumes without any residuum, and smells like burnt bread. It
is fusible, and by a moderate heat may be almost wholly sublimed.
It neither reacts as an acid nor an alkali, and is readily soluble
in water. Cold alcohol dissolves only traces of it, but boiling
alcohol dissolves it readily,—a property, which is to be taken ad-
vantage of in the formation of crystals. In ether it is insoluble.
Nitric acid, with the assistance of heat, converts it into oxalic
acid. An ounce of the bark yields six grains of the grenadine;
but it is not settled, whether it contains the whole of the medical
properties of the bark. Cenedella/j- from whom we have the most
recent analysis of the bark of the pomegranate root, also found
the grenadine discovered by Latour. This substance is readily
prepared. The bark in powder is treated with ether, and after-
wards with boiling alcohol, and the fluid is evaporated to the con-
sistence of a soft extract. By treating this extract with water,
the grenadine is dissolved without difficulty, and it may be puri-
fied by suffering it to crystallise frequently from alcohol.
* Journal de Pharmacie, Fev. 1828, p. 109.
f Giornale di Farmacia, Agosto, 1831, p. 55. See, also, Journal de Phar-
macie, ix. 219; x. 352; and xvii. 503; and Prof. Dierbach, in Heidelberg
khn. Annalen, B. x. H. 3, S. 365. Heidelb. 1834.
23
262
GRANATUM.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
The therapeutical properties of the different parts of the pome-
granate tree were known to the writers of antiquity. They em-
ployed not only the bark of the root as a remedial agent, but also
the flowers {Flores Balaustiorum, Balaustes,Balaustia,) " Balaus-
tine Flowers," the whole fruit {Poma Granati, Malo-Granata,
Granata, Mala Punica, Fr. Grenades.) "Pomegranate;" the
rind of the fruit {Malicorium, Malichorium, Malaconum,) and the
seeds Dioscorides, Pliny, Celsus and Marcellus Empmcus speak
of the employment of the bark of the root in taenia.* In more
modern times, the Punica granatum had been greatly neglected,
although the juice of the fruit was recommended by Frederick
Hoffman against worms in, children. In India, it has been long
held in great estimation as a remedy in cases of tapeworm, and
its efficacy having been noticed by some English physicians, it
was recommended to the attention of European physicians,
especially by Buchanan,! Fleming and Breton. J About the same
time, a monograph was published by Gomez, a Portuguese physi-
cian, which appears to have had considerable agency in extending
the reputation of the remedy, especially in Germany, where the
monograph was translated into the Journal of Gerson and Julius.§
Gomez directs two ounces of the fresh rind of the root to be
boiled in a pint and a half of water down to a pint; and of this
decoction two or three spoonfuls to be taken for a dose; the first
early in the morning fasting, and then every half hour until the
whole is used. The efficacy of the preparation he tested on fourteen
cases, from which it appeared, that the worm could not withstand
the action of the remedy more than forty-eight hours. He found
it to exert most efficacy, when portions of the worm were per-
ceptible in the evacuations, a period when the patient generally
suffers most inconvenience. If the exit of the worm did not take
place on the first day, after the use of the agent, the decoction
was continued on the second day, when the worm was generally
discharged. Did this, however, not happen, a farther continuance
of the remedy was of no avail; and he thought it better to inter-
mit it until the appearance of fresh portions of the worm in the
evacuations. Gomez also administers the dried rind in pills. If
the dose be too large, or the appropriate dose be too frequently ,
repeated, nausea, vomiting and diarrhcea at times supervene;
should this be the case, the proper course is obvious.
* Merat & De Lens, Diet, de Mat. Medical. Art. Punica Granatum.
f Edinb. Med. and Surg. Journal, iii. 22,1827.
t Medico-Chirurg. Transact, xi. 31.
5 Mawazin, u. s. w. vi. 427, and Journal ComphSmentaire des Sciences
Medicafes, xvi. 24,1823.
GRANATUM.
263
In countries, where the fresh rind can be obtained, Gomez
advises, that it should be used; in colder countries, the dried rind,
which is obtained from more southern regions, will have to be
employed.
According to Breton, the latter acts more powerfully; the dried
rind loses more than half its weight, and two ounces of it may be
esteemed equal to three of the fresh.
The strong testimony, adduced in its favour by Gomez, gave
occasion to numerous trials with it in England, France, Germany
and Italy, which were generally attended with favourable results.
Such favourable testimony has been afforded by Boiti, Marchese,
Calabro, Majoli, Chevallier, Deslandes, Merat,* Pichonnier, Man-
drux, Claret, Bayle, Delaporte, Gendrin, Grimaud, Chapotin,
Bourgeoise, Housson, Goupil, Ferrus, Wolff, Kostler, Meisinger,
Berthold, and others.p On the other hand, KeibelJ complains of its
uncertainty; and, in the Polyclinical Institute of the University of
Berlin, it was given without advantage; but Osann, in his report
of that institution, is disposed to refer the want of success to some
imperfection in the rind employed, which, he remarks, is found to
vary greatly in its character, as met with in the shop of the
apothecary. It would appear, also, that it is not unfrequently mixed
with the rind of the root of the Boxtree, and the Guelder rose
(Wasserhollunder.)
To introduce more precision on this matter, Wolff* recommends
that the druggists should purchase The bark of the root of the
genuine East India, or at all events the Portuguese, tree. Boiti§
advises that the root should be obtained from mountainous regions,
where the tree grows wild; that it should be taken only from
young trees, and that it should not be more than an inch thick, that
it should be carefully separated from the woody portion, and be
collected in the spring of the year, when the tree has most sap, and
be dried in the shade. Chevallier,!! also advises, that only the rind
of the root of the wild tree should be used. Gendrin, Montault
and Pichonnier all affirm, that the fresh rind was alone certain in
its operation ; the dry frequently disappointing them. According
to Breton, the rind of the trunk is to be preferred to that of the
root, because it preserves its virtues longer. Chevallier recom-
mends, before the decoction of the pomegranate tree bark is ad-
ministered, that a gentle cathartic of castor oil with lemon juice
should be premised. This may be taken the evening before, the
patient fasting, during the following day. The decoction he di-
* Du Taenia &c. et de sa cure radicale par l'ecorce de la racine de Grenadier.
Paris, 1832; and Merat & De Lens. Op. cit.
f Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimittel, S. 247.
X Rust's Magazin, xvi. St. 3. S. 566.
$ Revue Encyclop. xxxii. 234.
|| Journal de Chimie Medicale, i. 378 ; 1825.
264
GRANATUM.
rects to be made of two ounces of the rind macerated for twenty-
four hours, in two pints of water, and then boiled until a pint of
the strained liquor remains. This must be divided into three por-
tions, which are taken in half hourly doses. The first and second
doses with many persons excite vomiting, but this need not prevent
the administration of the third, as it rarely produces the same
effect. This quantity of the decoction commonly occasions three
or four evacuations, preceded by slight colic pains ; at other times,
but one evacuation is produced, with which the worm is usually
expelled. The period that elapses between the administration of
the last dose of the remedy and the commencement of its opera-
tion is from a quarter of an hour to a whole hour—rarely longer.
Cenedella advises that the bark of the root should be macerated
before boiling; that the decoction should be made in earthen, not
in metallic, vessels, and that it should be filtered or strained whilst
hot, different constituents—which are probably efficacious—being
deposited as the liquor cools.
According to Constant, the rind is commonly prepared in France
in the following manner.
The rind of the fresh root—or the bruised root dried—is mace-
rated through the night in from a pint and a half to a quart of
water; the liquor is then boiled to one half, strained, and in the
morning, a third part is taken lukewarm, fasting, and repeated
every three hours until the whole has been arlministered. The
quantity of the rind, used fur the decoction, is, in the case of the
adult, f j; of children, from six to fifteen years old, Jvj; and of
those under six years of age, gss. At times, however, it has been
administered in much larger doses. A girl, twenty-four years of
age, had suffered from taenia from her infancy and had frequently
passed fragments of worms in her evacuations. She took two
ounces of the bruised bark of the promegranate root, boiled in two
pounds of water, at thrice, with half an hour's interval between
the doses, but without effect. The dose was now increased to
three ounces, and two tapeworms were expelled; so that in two
days, and without any abdominal disturbance, the patient took the
decoction of five ounces of the bark of pomegranate root.*
To ensure the proper action of the decoction, it must be given
as directed above, without the addition of sugar or syrup, which
changes its properties. During its operation, the patient should
drink nothing, except when the tormina are urgent, and then a 'lit-
tle of any aromatised water, without sugar, may be taken. The
remedy should be given only on days in which portions of taenia
are evacuated, or on the following morning; and the alimentary
canal should be free from every evidence of inflammatory irrita-
* Professor Forget, in Gazette des Hdpitaux, Fev. 19,1839, and Lond. Med.
Gazette, Apl. 20, 1839.
GRANATUM.
265
tion. By some, as by Latour de Trie and Ferrus, an infusion of
the rind has been found serviceable; and Deslandes recommends
an Extractum spirituosum, and an Extractum aquosum corticis
radicis granatorum.
Ferrus, Berthold, Goupil, and others, have published cases in
which, along with the expulsion of the taenia, various neuroses
were removed under the use of the rind, and accordingly it has
been thought, that it might be usefully employed in such affec-
tions where no taenia exists;—in epilepsy and hysteria, for ex-
ample.
Decoctum Corticis Radicis Granati.
Decoction of Pomegranate Root Bark.
R. Corticis radicis granati, 5ij.
Aquae, Jfeij.
Boil to a pint and a half.
Dose.—gij every half hour. Three or four doses are usually
sufficient to expel the worm.* The formula quoted by Dr. Parisf
from Dr. Ainslie's Materia Medica of Hindustan, directs the de-
coction to be prepared with §ij of the fresh bark, boiled in a pint
and a half of water, until only three quarters of a pint remain.
Electuarium Corticis Radicis Granati.
Electuary of Pomegranate Root Bark.
R. Extract, spirit, cort. rad. granat. Jvj.
Aquae florum tiliae
Succi. citr. aa. 5iij.
Gum. tragac. q. s. ut fiat electuarium.
Dose.—One half, from half hour to half hour.
Deslandes.
* Jourdan's Pharmacope'e Universelle, i. 638, Paris, 1828.
f Pharmacologia, Beck's American Edition, p. 380. New York, 1831.
23*
266 guaco.
Mistura Extracti Corticis Radicis Granati.
Mixture of Pomegranate Root Bark.
R. Extract, spirit, cort. rad. granat. 5vj.
Aquae menthae,
Aquas flor. tiliae.*
Succ. citr. aa. |ij. M.
To be divided into four parts, one of which may be taken every
quarter of an hour. Deslandes.
GUACO.
Synonymes.—Huaco, Eupatorium Huaco.
It would appear, that owing to some extracts in the Allgemeine
Zeitung, the attention of the German physicians had been di-
rected to this article as an important agent in the cure of epidemic
cholera; and various testimonials have been brought forward in
its favour, which, as Rieckef properly suggests, may not be con-
firmed by farther experience, and yet the circumstance may have
led to the introduction of a valuable article into the catalogue of
medicinal agents.
Many species of the genus Eupatorium, and of the kindred
genus Mikania,—which has been recently separated from it, be-
longing to the natural family Compositae, (Synanthereae, sub-
division Corymbiferae,) and, in the Lynnaean system, to Syn-
genesia iEqualis, have been prized in various parts of America,
particularly in cases of the bites of serpents. This is especially the
case with the Eupatorium ayapana, {E. triplinerve.) According
to Martius, a quantity of the bruised leaves is applied to the scari-
fied wound, and the application of fresh leaves is renewed, over
and over again, until the patient is freed from the dangerous symp-
toms, and especially from the violent suffering. At the same time,
a few spoonfuls of the expressed juice are administered every now
and then. The Mikania opifera, {Eupatorium cr'enatum,)—in
Brazil termed Erva da cobra—and tbe Eupatorium saturejce-
folium, {Mikania saturejafolia,) also belong to the many Synan-
• Any simple aromatic water may be substituted for this.
f Die neuern Arzneimitlel. u. s. w. S. 250. Stuttgart, 1837.
GUACO.
267
thereae, which, in South America, are reputed specifics against
the bites of serpents. The most important species appears to be
that called, in Peru, Guaco, or Huaco, which is held there in high
consideration, as well as in Columbia, New Grenada, and Vene-
zuela, not only in these cases, but in the prevention of hydropho-
bia.* This is presumed to be the mikania guaco of Humboldt.
The guaco was made known to us, forty or fifty years ago,by
Mutis,f who refers to its effects in cases of the bites of serpents.
effects on the economy.
Of the efficacy of the guaco in the Indian cholera, M. E. de
Chaniac, Officier de Sante in the French navy, and Dr. Chabert,
physician to the military hospital in Mexico, have published the
results of their experience. When the brig Adonis, on her voyage
from Havana to Mexico, in the year 1833, arrived at Vera Cruz,
some of her crew were attacked with the cholera, which prevailed
at the time in Mexico. Of all the remedies employed, the guaco
was found the most beneficial; its effects, indeed, were so won-
derful, that it was regarded almost as specific. Its action is
chiefly exerted on the heart and the circulation, which it renders
more energetic. All the patients, to whom it was exhibited in
the commencement of the disease, were saved, and even of those,
in whom the cholera had already reached a certain stage, the
greater part were saved, as soon as a free and complete reaction
was established.
Dr. Chabert, who first administered the guaco in cholera, as well
as in yellow fever, observes on its use in the former disease:—In
simple cases, a small tea-cupful of a warm decoction of guaco was
given every half hour, until a general diaphoresis and proper
warmth of surface supervened, which was kept up for some days,
when the remedy was gradually discontinued. To allay the thirst,
the decoction was given, diluted with two-thirds, or half, water. In
dangerous cases of cholera algida, with coldness, loss of pulse,
&c, a spoonful of the spirituous tincture was mixed with six or
eight spoonfuls of water, and, every quarter of an hour, a spoon-
ful of this mixture was given alternately with a small cupful of the
decoction. When the pulse returned, the warmth became re-
* See W. R. Johnson, in Silliman's Journal, xxiv. 279 and 388, New
Haven, 1833; and Ibid, xxvii. 171, New Haven, 1835; also, Dr. Hancock,
in Quarterly Journal of Science, &c. from January to June, 1830, p. 333.
Dr. Hancock affirms, that the names Guaco and Bejuco de Guaco were
given—in the parts of America where he sojourned—to different species of
Aristolochia.
f Virey, in Bulletin de la Soci£t6 de Pharmacie, vi. 241; and Riecke, Op.
cit. 251.
268
GUACO.
stored and the perspiration re-established; the tincture was omitted,
and the decoction continued alone at longer intervals. In the
majority of cases, after the cessation of the cholera symptoms,
pain was experienced in the epigastrium, with burning thirst,
which yielded when the decoction was diluted with half or two-
thirds water. When the decoction could not be retained by the
stomach, it was given in clyster. Bloodletting, general and local,
was employed along with other external means, but nothing was
given internally, except the guaco. To make the decoction;—two
drams of the stalks, and half a dram of the leaves, were boiled in
two pints of water, down to one. The tincture was prepared like
other tinctures.
In consequence of the communications of Chabert and DeCha-
niac, as well as of the parallel drawn by Harless,* between the
cholera and the effects of the bites of serpents, Professor Beckers.
of Miinchen, recommended that experiments should be made with
the guaco; and it was accordingly tried in Miinchen, but not with
as favourable results as had been expected. Romerio asserts, that
it was given in the stadium' asphycticum, in the form of infusion,
made of half an ounce of the stalks, but with uncertain results. It
appeared to combine the effect of the valerian and ipecacuanha,
yet it excited less vomiting than the latter. The tincture appeared
to render greater service. It was given in the dose of a coffee-
spoonful every half hour, and, subsequently, every hour, and every
two hours. It would appear, that in the district of Prague, its
administration was attended with very favourable consequences.!
To account for the different results, it is affirmed, that different
drugs are met with in commerce under the name guaco. Riecke
says, that M. Jobst had sent him two kinds, which were evi-
dently from different plants; the one variety was obtained from
Hamburg and Bordeaux, the other from Paris; descriptions of
which are given by Riecke. The truth, probably, is, that this,
like most of the cholera specifics which have been brought for-
ward, is efficacious in certain cases of the disease, but that its
efficacy has been egregiously exaggerated.
* Die Indische Cholera u. s. w. Braunschweijf, 1831.
t Riecke, Op. cit. S. 256.
HIPPOCASTANUM.
269
HIPPOCASTANUM, (CORTEX.)
Synonymes.—.dEsculus Hippocastanum, Castanea Equina, C. Pavina, Horse
Chestnut, Buck Eye, (the Bark.)
French.—Marronier, Marronier d'lnde.
German.—Rosscastanien, (Rinde.)
The tree, whence this bark is derived, is the JEsculus Hippo-
castanum, or Horse Chestnut—of the natural family Hippocas-
tanese; in the Linnaean system, class Heptandria, order Mono-
gynia—which is wild on the mountains of Asia Minor and Persia,
and grows in this country, as well as in Europe. The bark has
a very astringent taste, is somewhat bitter, and contains a great
deal of tannin. Canzoneri thinks he discovered a peculiar prin-
ciple in it, which he calls JEsculine, but the existence of this is
contested.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
The cortex hippocastani has long been advised as an astringent,
but without receiving much attention.* In modern times, it lias
been proposed by Zannichelli, Hufeland, Voigtel, and others, as
the best substitute for the cinchona. These recommendations have
caused the bark to be more frequently administered of late, in
Europe, by which means it has been discovered to accord almost
entirely in its effects with the willow bark; the latter, however,
appears to be more effective, and to agree better with the digestive
organs. In the wars of Napoleon, when bark was very scarce, it
was much employed.
Hufeland and Voigtel recommend it, especially in intermittents.
Sinogowitzf advises that it, should be given after the removal of
intermittents by the quinine, to prevent a relapse; and, also, in
combination with diuretic agents, in the cases of dropsy which
often succeed that disease. Krugelstein found it always extremely
efficacious in atonic gout, and in removing the weakness of the
digestive apparatus that remains after attacks of gout. The
Austrian, Brunswick, Danish, Russian, and Saxon pharmaco-
poeias;}; have an aqueous extract of the bark, which Voigtel admi-
nistered with good results in intermittent fever, and which he often
found serviceable in chronic discharges from the mucous mem-
* M£rat & De Lens, Art. iEsculus Hippocastanum.
f Rust's Magazin, B. xxix. H. i. p. 84.
t Pharmacopee Universelle, ii. 14. Paris, 1828.
270
HIPPOCASTANUM.
branes. It agrees better with the stomach than the powder or the
decoction. Externally, the decoction has been advised as a good
astringent.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
Decoctum Corticis Hippocastani.
Decoction of Horse Chestnut Bark.
R. Cort. hippocastan. ^iss.
Coque cum aquae commun. ^xviij. ad reman, colat. oix; cui refrigerat,
adde
Spir. sulph. aether. 3j—ij-
Syr. cort. aurant. §j. M.
To be used during the apyrexia. Voigtel.
Pulvis China Factitius.
Factitious Powder of Bark.
R. Cortic. hippocast.
-------------------__=.---. satin.
---r- gentian, rubr.
Calam. arom.
Caryophyll. aa. 5ij-
Misce et fiat pulvis.
Hufeland* affirms, that this powder is an adequate substitute for
tfie cinchona in three cases out of four.
Hufeland, and Prussian Pharmacopeia.
Decoctum China Factitia.
Decoction of Factitious Bark.
R. Pulv. gross, cort. salic.
--------------hippocast. aa. ^ss.
Rad. calam.
Caryophyll. aa. 5ij.
Coque cum aq. fontan. ^xvi. ad reman, colat. iviij.
Prussian Pharmacopeia.
* Armenpharmacopoe. 4te Ausgab. Berl. 1825.
HYDRARGYRI PR^PARATA. 271
Decoctum Hippocastani Acidum.
Acid Decoction of Horse Chestnut.
R. Cort. hippocast. pulv. 5yj-
Coque cum
Acid, sulphur, dilut. 5J et
Aquae font. 5x.
Ad colat. ^yj.
Used in the after treatment of intermitten s. Sinogowitz.
Electuarium Corticis Hippocastani.
Electuary of Horse Chestnut Bark.
R. Cort. hippocast. pulv. ^ss.
Rad. calam. aromat. 3ss.
Roob. juniperi, 5iij. M. fiat electuarium.
A tea-spoonful to be taken every hour, or every two hours, in
dropsies supervening on intermittent fever. Sinogowitz.
HYDRARGYRI PR^EPARATA.
Synonymes.—Preparations of Mercury.
French.—Les Preparations de Mercure.
German.—Quecksilberpraparate.
I. HYDRARGYRI BROMIDUM.
Synonymes.—Hydrargyrum Bromatum, Bromide of Mercury.
German.—Bromquecksilber.
Mercury unites with bromine in more than one proportion. A
solution of hydrobromate of potassa produces, with a solution of
nitrate of protoxide of mercury, a white precipitate, which resem-
bles calomel; and appears to be a bromide of quicksilver, answer-
ing to the protoxide; {Hydrargyrum Bromatum, Hydrargyri Pro-
tobromidum; German, Quecksilberbromur.) On the other hand,
the bromide which is formed by the direct union of bromine with
272 HYDRARGYRI EROMIDUM.
mercury, corresponds probably to the peroxide. A white sub-
stance results, which can be sublimed by heat, is soluble in water,
alcohol, and especially in ether; is coloured red or yellow by the
alkalies, and exhibits considerable resemblance to corrosive subli-
mate; {Hydrargyrum perbromatum, H. perbromidum, H. deuto-
bromidum. German, Quecksilberbromid.)
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
The effects of these preparations on the sound and diseased
organism are not yet well known. They have, however, been
employed by some physicians. The protobromide strongly re-
sembles calomel in its properties. In the dose of one or two
grains, it produces no effect in health, even when taken fasting.
In a higher dose—four or five grains, and upwards—it purges
moderately, augmenting, at the same time, the secretion pf urine.
When used in recent syphilitic affections, in the way of friction
on the gums, or internally, in the form of pill, it cures them like
calomel; but it does not seem to affect the mouth as speedily or
as severely as calomel.*
The deutobromide resembles the bichloride of mercury in its
action,—producing, in too strong a dose, vomiting and purging,
with colic and cramp of the stomach; affecting the mouth, and
exciting violent salivation. Werneck, of Austria, has administered
it frequently in syphilis. In recent cases, he prescribes the deu-
tobromide in the form of pill, beginning with the one-twentieth of
a grain. This dose he increases by two twenty-fifths every two
days; the chancres being covered at the same time with com-
presses, wetted with a solution formed of six grains of the same
substance to a pint of distilled water. After a few days' treat-
ment, he remarked, that the sores assumed a better appearance;
and from twenty to thirty days were sufficient to effect their en-
tire cicatrisation; the total quantity of the bromide administered
was about five grains. It was rarely necessary to carry it as high
as ten or twelve grains. It has been believed that the deutobro-
mide of mercury is less liable to affect the salivary glands than
the deutochloride of mercury, and to affect less severely the sto-
mach and chest.f
Desorgues has recommended the second (?) preparation as a
prophylactic and curative agent in syphilis. It was doubtless,
also, Riecke suggests—the second preparation, which was ad-
ministered with excellent effects by Prieger, in porrigo favosa, of
an obstinate character. He terms the preparation bromus mar-
* Bulletin General de Th^rapeutiquc, No. 14, Juillet 30,1837.
f Ibid.
HYDRARGYRI CYANIDUM. 273
curii, but the true bromate is probably insoluble in ether.* The
first of the following formulae is recommended by Prieger.
Gutta Hydrargyri Perbromidi.
Drops of Perbromide of Mercury.
R. Bromatis mercurii, (vel potius hydrargyri perbromidi,) gr. vj.
Solve in
iEther. sulphuric. 5hj- M-
Dose.—Ten to twenty drops, according to the age of the pa-
tient, daily, in water.
R. Hydrargyr. deuto-bromid. gr. j.
iEther. sulphuric, gj. M.
Dose.—Ten to twenty drops in barley water, a short time after
taking dinner;—in syphilis. Werneck.
II. HYDRARGYRI CYANIDUM.
Synonymes.—Hydrargyri Cyanuretum, H. Prussia?, II. Bicyanidum, H.
Borussias, Hydrargyrum Cyanogenatum, H. Hydrocyanicum, Cyanide, or
Prussiate, or Hydrocyanate, or Bicyanide of Mercury.
French.—Cyanure ou Hydrocyanate ou Prussiate de Mercure.
German.—Cyanquecksilber, Blaustoftquecksilber, Blausaures Quecksilber.
This mercurial preparation is contained in the pharmacopoeias
of the United States, Dublin, London, Belgium, Paris, Ferrara,
&c.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
According to Proust and Gay-Lussac, two parts of good and
finely powdered Prussian blue must be boiled with one part of
deutoxide of mercury and eight parts of water, until the mixture
acquires a bright yellowish tint. It is then filtered; and the fil-
tered liquor, which is the hydrocyanate of deutoxide of mercury
—containing, however, some iron—is digested or boiled with an
excess of the deutoxide of mercury, whereby the oxide of iron
* Die neuern Arzneimittel, S. 261. Stuttgart, 1837, &. 2te Auflage, S. 371.
Stuttgart, 1840.
24
274
HYDRARGYRI CYANIDUM.
is completely precipitated. As, however, the hydrocyanate, is '
combined with an excess of the oxide of mercury, this must
be saturated with free hydrocyanic acid, and the solution be
evaporated to induce crystallisation. In this mode the cyanide
is formed.
The formula of the Pharmacopceia of the United States, into
which the cyanide has been introduced to serve in the preparation
of the hydrocyanic acid, is the same as that adopted in the Co-
dex Medicamentarius of Paris, which was recommended by Ber-
zelius. It is as follows :—
Take of red oxide of mercury, three ounces; ferrocvanate
of Iron, (Prussian blue,) six ounces; distilled water, three pints.
Put the oxide of mercury and the ferrocyanate of iron, previously
powdered and thoroughly mixed together, into a glass vessel; and
pour upon them two pints of the distilled water. Then boil the
mixture, stirring constantly, till it becomes of a yellowish colour;
after which filter through paper. Wash the residue in a pint of
the distilled water, and filter as before. Mix the solutions, and
evaporate by the fire till a pellicle appears; then set the liquor
aside that crystals may form. To purify the crystals, dissolve
them again in distilled water; filter; evaporate the solution, and
set it aside to crystallise.*
The former of these methods is, doubtless, the best, as it ensures
uniformity, whilst the Prussian blue of commerce being of variable
strength, the cyanide made after the latter formula, must be so
likewise.
Schrader directs it to be prepared by mixing a solution of the
red oxide or deutoxide of mercury with hydrocyanic acid, filtering-
and evaporating.f
The cyanide of mercury forms white, opake, four-sided prisms.
It is inodorous, and its taste is extremely disagreeable and metallic.
It is decomposed by heat; is readily soluble in water, and becomes
converted thereby into hydrocyanate of mercury. It is insoluble
in alcohol.
The cyanide of mercury contains, at times, ferrohydrocvanate
of potassa, proceeding from the Prussian blue, with which"it has
been prepared.J
* Wood and Bache's Dispensatory, Art. Hydrargyri Cyanuretum; sep, also,
Mr. Ellis, in Journal of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, vi 24 Philad
1834-5.
f See a new process for its preparation, by MM. Chevallier and Deleschamps,
in Journ. de Chimie Medicale, Janv. 1830.
X Orfila, Toxicologic, i. 331.
HYDRARGYRI CYANIDUM.
275
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN HEALTH.
According to Coullon, the poisonous action of the cyanide of
mercury is as rapid as that of the hydrocyanic acid; but, in the
dose of from two to five grains, M. Ittner found it produce on dogs
only signs of indisposition, tremors, &c* It is one of the sub-
stances which Magendie,j- in his experiments, found to promote the
coagulation of the blood.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
Parent,^ who frequently used this preparation, prefers it greatly
to corrosive sublimate, in consequence of its greater solubility, and
the capability of more readily affecting the organism by it. In his
experience, syphilis yields more readily under its use than under
that of any of the mercurials. He did not observe pains in the
abdomen accompanying its protracted employment, which he so
frequently witnessed when the sublimate was taken. Another ad-
vantage which it possesses, is, that it is not so readily decomposed.
No salt, rto alkali—not even caustic alkali—disturbs it; neither do
substances that contain azote or gallic acid, which speedily con-
vert the sublimate into calomel. Moreover, the cyanide of mer-
cury appears to act on the animal textures differently from subli-
mate. When the latter is placed in contact with flesh, it becomes
quickly changed, in part, into calomel; whilst the cyanide pre-
serves the flesh equally well, without being decomposed. The
hydrocyanic acid appears to play no important part in the action
of the remedy. According to Olivier's experiments,^ the cyanide,
like the corrosive sublimate, acts as a powerful excitant to the
tissues on which it is applied. He saw a man destroyed by in-
flammation of the intestines, who had taken twenty-three grains
of it.
The cyanide of mercury was first, perhaps, recommended in
Italy, (Brera,) and Spain. Mendoza especially made many trials
with it, from which- he was induced to conclude, that it is the best
agent we possess in venereal affections—an opinion in which he
was joined by several of his professional brethren in Malaga. He
advises, that laudanum should be added to it, on account of its lia-
bility to excite vomiting. When too large doses were administered,
* Merat & De Lens, Diet, de Mat. Med. Art. Cyanogene.
f Legons sur le Sang; and translation in Lond. Lancet, Jan. 20th, 1839, p.
»336.
J Journ. de Chimie Medicale, viii. 473.
) Journ. de Chimie Medicale, i. 269.
276
HYDRARGYRI CYANIDUM.
or when the patient was unusually impressible, Mendoza found
that the nervous system became especially disordered—as indi-
cated by syncope, oppression, anxiety, and convulsions. Chaussier,
likewise, as well as Thaer and Horn proposed the cyanide as a
remedial agent at an early period. On the other hand, Wendt,
Cullerier, and Plisson complain of its little efficacy; whence it has
been inferred that the preparation must differ; when prepared, in-
deed, according to the first form, it always contains more or less
iron.*
Neumannf advised it in chronic inflammation of the lungs, and
of the membranous organs of the chest, and abdomen and of the
ovaries. In particular cases, its use has to be soon pretermitted,
in consequence of its powerful action, even in small doses—as one
eighth of a grain three times a day—on the salivary glands. In
other cases, it can be continued long without the supervention of
any unpleasant consequences. In the Charite, at Berlin, it was
used with advantage in a case of obstinate cephalalgia, the origin
of which was syphilitic.
Biett has employed it externally—in the form of the ointment
given below—in cases of humid tetter, accompanied with inflam-
mation and itching. Parent recommends it to be applied in cases
of chancre, and Brera uses it in solution, as a gargle, in syphilitic
ulceration of the fauces.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The cyanide of mercury may be given in pills or in solution;
Horn gave it in powder, but this form is less appropriate. The
dose is from one-sixteenth of a grain to a grain several times a
day. As a gargle, half a grain to a grain may be dissolved in
^j of water; as an ointment from one and a half to two grains to
-yj of lard. Chaussier used it in friction on the soles of the feet,
in the same way as the corrosive sublimate.
Solutio Hydrargyri Cyanidi.
Solution of Cyanide of Mercury.
(Synonyme.—Liqueur Antisyphilitique de Chaussier.)
R. Hydrargyri cyanid. gr. viij.
Aquae destillat. ffj.
Each ounce contains half a grain of the cyanuret.
ChaussierJ and Parent.
* Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimittel, u. s. w. S. 264. Stuttgart, 1837, & 2te
Auflage, S. 376. Stuttgart, 1840.
t Hufeland und Osann's Journal, lv. 66.
X Rattier, Formulaire Pratique des Hopitaux civils de Paris, Seme £dit.
Paris, 1827.
HYDRARGYRI CYANIDUM. 277
R. Hydrarg. cyanid. 9ss.
Solve in
Aq. destillat. fbj-
Adde
Tincturae opii, 3j. M.
Dose.—Morning and evening, a spoonful, in a decoction of sar-
saparilla or barley. Mendoza and Parent.
Pilula Hydrargyri Cyanidi.
Pills of Cyanide of Mercury.
R. Hydrarg. cyanid. gr. v.
Opii puri, 9ss.
Micae panis, 3j-
Mellis, q. s. ut fiant pilulae xcvj.
Dose.—One to four, three times a day. Parent.
Gargarisma Hydrargyri Cyanidi.
Gargle of Cyanide of Mercury.
R. Hydrarg. cyanid. 9ss.
Decoct, ten. sera, lini, (vel rad. althaea?,) jfoj.
M. et fiat gargarisma.
Parent.
R. Hydrarg. cyanid. £)ss.
Decoct, hordei, }f3J.
Mellis rosati, ?j. M. et fiat gargarisma.
Brera.
Unguentum Hydrargyri Cyanidi.
Ointment of Cyanide of Mercury.
R. Hydrarg. cyanid. gr. xij.
Adipis, ?j. M. ut fiat unguentum,
Brera.
R. Hydrarg. cyanid. gr. xvj,
Adipis, §j.
01. limonis, gtt. xv. M.
From half a dram to a dram, to be rubbed in, in cases of tetter.
Biett.
24*
278
HYDRARGYRI PROTO-IODIDtiM.
III. HYDRARGYRI PROTO IODIDUM.
Synonymes.—Hydrargyri Proto-Ioduretum, Hydrargyrum lodatum flavum, H.
Iodidum, H. Iodidulatum, H. lodatum (in contradistinction to the Perioda-
tum,) Iodidum Hydrargyrosum, Hydrargyri Proto-iodidum, Proto-iodide or
Proto-ioduret of Mercury.
French.—Proto-iodure de Mercure.
German—Gelbes Iodquecksilber, Gelbes Quecksilberiodid, Protoiodur des
Quecksilbers, Quecksilberiodidul, Iodquecksilber im. minimum des Iods.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
According to Tunnermann, the best method of preparing the
Proto-iodide is the following:—Take of the nitrate of protoxide
of mercury, (not tinged yellow by the admixture of the nitrate of
peroxide) 28.25 parts, and 16.5 parts of iodide of potassium; rub
them together for some minutes in the dry state, and afterwards
with a little distilled water, gradually adding the water so as to
dissolve the saltpetre formed. The mixture is then passed through
the filter, and tbe yellowish green precipitate of iodide of mercury
is well washed, and then dried by a gentle heat.
The objection to this process is the difficulty of obtaining the
mercurial salt at a minimum of oxidation, and the consequent lia-
bility of the resulting compound to contain uncertain quantities of
the deuto-iodide. M. Boutigny* to avoid these disadvantages re-
commends the following form.
R. Hydrarg. proto-chlorid. 5iij & ^v.
Potassii iodidi, Iij & 5iv-
Pulverise the iodide in a glass mortar, and add the calomel;
place the mixture in a porcelain capsule, and pour over it ten or
twelve ounces of boiling distilled water. After cooling, decant
the fluid, collect the precipitate on a filter, and wash with distilled
water. Dry in the shade and keep in a well-stopped bottle.
The proto-iodide, thus prepared, may, according to M. Bou-
tigny, sometimes contain a minute portion of mercury or its pro-
tochloride, but the quantity of either is so small as to be of no
moment.
In the new London Pharmacopceia, it is prepared by rubbing
together an ounce of mercury and five drams of iodine, adding
* Bulletin General de Therapeutique, and American Journ. of Pharmacy,
2d vol. 2d series, p. 326. Philad. 1837.
HYDRARGYRI PROTO-IODIDUM.
279
gradually as much alcohol as may be sufficient until globules are
no longer visible. The powder is dried immediately by a gentle
heat, access of light being excluded, and is kept in a well stop-
ped vessel.*
The proto-iodide, according to Thomson, consists of 250 parts
of mercury, and 156 parts of iodine. It has a greenish yellow
colour, and is a preparation holding the same relation to iodine
and mercury, that calomel holds to chlorine and mercury; it is
more volatile, however, than calomel, but like it is almost insolu-
ble in water.
EFFECTS OF THE ECONOMY.
This preparation has been less used than the deuto-iodide to
be described next. Tunnermann remarks, as the results of his
experience, that its action in respect to the mercury, is analogous
to that of calomel, except that it appears to excite more the lym-
phatic and glandular systems. When given in conjunction with
a generous animal diet, he found it very efficacious in a case of
scrofulosis, where colliquative sweats had appeared; and in a se-
cond case, also, it rendered essential service. In one of the cases,
he gave it internally in the dose of from one twelfth to one half a
grain three times a day; in the other of from one half a grain to
a grain. He directed it also to be rubbed, in the form of oint-
ment, on the tumefied glands of the neck. Pelletan likewise found
it serviceable in the cure of obstinate glandular swellings, when
used in the form of ointment in combination with morphine, as
well as in cases of obstruction of the liver. Biett recommends
an ointment of the protoiodide in the treatment of chronic ve-
nereal ulcers, the cicatrisation of which it expedites; Lugolf ad-
vises it in phagedenic scrofulous ulcers, which present a syphil-
itic aspect; and PoiretJ recommends it strongly in cases of pso-
riasis ; the patient using at the same time simple alkaline or vapor
baths alternately. According to the experience of Ricord,§ in
the syphilitic affections of children, especially of a cutaneous
character, it is to be preferred to other forms of mercurial, and
is not apt to be followed by the bad effects, which, in adults, often
supervene on the use of other preparations.||
* Brande, Dictionary of Materia Medica, p. 289. Lond. 1839.
f Essays on the effects of Iodine in scrofulous diseases, &c. by Dr. O'Shaugh-
nessy, p. 170. Lond. 1831.
X Gazette des Hopitaux, Juillet 20,1837; see, also,Bulletin General de The-
rapeutique, Juillet, 1837; and C. A. Porter, M. D. in American Journal of the
Med. Sciences, Nov. 1839, p. 68.
{ La Lancette Franchise, No. 65, 1834.
|| Cogswell's Essay on Iodine, p. 158. Edinb. 1837.
280 HYDRARGYRI PROTO-IODIDUM.
METHOD OF ADMINISTERING.
On account of its insolubility, it is given only in the form of
powder or pill, to the extent of from one-twelftb to half a grain,
twice or thrice a day. Externally, it is applied, for the same
reasons, in the form of ointment only.
Pilula Hydrargyri Iodidi.—(Pharmac. Londin.)
Pills of the Iodide of Mercury.
R. Hydrarg. iodidi, 5j.
Confect. rosae caninae, ^\\].
Zingiberis contritae, 5J- M.
Pilula Hydrargyri Proto-Iodidi Composita.
Compound Pills of Proto-iodide of Mercury.
R. Hydrarg. proto-iodid. gr. vj.
Extract, opii, gr. iv.
Lactucarii, gr. xxiv.
Ext. guaiac. gr. xlviij.
M. Fiant pilulae xlviij.
Dose.—For a child, half a year old, one pill; for older children,
two, three, or four. In the syphilis of children. Ricord.
R. Hydrarg. proto-iodid. gr. j,
Ext. junip. gr. xij.
Pulv. glycyrrhiz. q. s.
Divide in pulv. viij.
Dose.—At first, two, morning and evening; afterwards, three
or four. Magendie and Biett.
Pulveres Hydrargyri Proto-Iodidi.
Powders of the Proto-iodide of Mercury.
R. Hydrarg. proto-iodid. gr. i, (iv, vj, vel viij.)
Magnes. alb. 3j.
M. Et divide in part. xij.
Dose.—A powder three times a day.
HYDRARGYRI PROTO-IODIDUM. 281
Unguentum Hydrargyri Proto-Iodidi.
Ointment of the Proto-iodide of Mercury.
R. Hydrarg. proto-iodid. gr. vj.
Morphin. acetat. gr. viij.
Adipis, ?j. M.
In obstinate glandular swellings. Pelletan.
R. Hydrarg proto-iodid. 9j.
Adipis, 5iss.* M.
In old venereal ulcers. Magendie and Biett.
R. Hydrarg. protOTiodid, 9ij. (vel iij, vel iv.)
Adipis, iij. M.
As a dressing to phagedenic and scrofulous ulcers. Lugol.
When this salve is first prepared, it is of a canary yellow,
sometimes of a greepish colour. By time, it becomes of an orange
hue, when it must be thrown aside," as, owing to the formation of
the deuto-iodide, it has become as corrosive as the ointment of
corrosive sublimate.
R. Hydrarg. proto-iodid. 5J-
Adipis, gj. M.
To be rubbed morning and evening on the parts affected.
Poiret.
Unguentum Hydrargyri Iodidi.—(Lond. Pharm.)
Ointment of Iodide of Mercury.
R. Hydrargyr. iodid. ^j.
Cerae albae, 5ij.
Adipis, |vj. M.
* Tunnermann uses only ^ss.
282
HYDRARGYRI deuto-iodidum.
IV. HYDRARGYRI DEUTO-IODIDUM.
Synonymes.—H. Deuto-Ioduretum, Hydrargyrum lodatum Rubrum, H. Binio-
didtim, H. Periodatum, Iodidum Hydrargyricurn, Deutoiodide of Mercury,
Biniodide of Mercury.
French.—Deuto-iodide de Mercure, Periodure de Mercure.
German.—Rothes Iodquecksilber, Iodquecksilver im Maximum, Quecksil-
beriodid, Deuto-Iodiir des Quecksilbers.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
According to Tiinnermann, this beautiful preparation may be
obtained by double decomposition, by mixing 137 parts of corrosive
sublimate with 165 parts of iodide of potassium, rubbing them to-
gether, for a time, in the dry state, and afterwards with water, to
dissolve the chloride of potassium formed. To prevent a solution
of the precipitate in this salt, the mixture is put into a glass vessel,
and agitated with a considerable quantity of water, until the super-
natant liquid appears entirely clear, for which purpose a few minutes
suffice. It is now filtered; the residue on the filter well washed,
and gradually dried by warm air. By this process, the potassium
unites with the chlorine of the mercury, and the mercury with
the iodine in the dry way; the water is only useful in removing
the chloride of potassium.
The following is the process recommended in the London Phar-
macopoeia :—An ounce of mercury and ten drams of iodine are
to be rubbed together, alcohol being gradually added until the
globules are no longer visible. The powder is to be dried with a
gentle heat, and kept in a well-stopped vessel.
The deuto-iodide of mercury is a beautiful vermillion coloured
powder, which, when mbderately heated, becomes yellow, but,
when exposed to the air, is gradually restored to red, and is vola-
tilised. When volatilised, it crystallises in beautiful rhomboidal
leaves, which, at a higher temperature, are of a golden yellow
hue; but at the ordinary temperature of a shining red. The
deuto-iodide is insoluble in water; but soluble in alcohol and
ether. It contains 250 parts of mercury, and 312 of iodine.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
This preparation, which was introduced into practice by the
French physicians, has been particularly recommended in syphilis
complicated with scrofula. Biett found it very efficacious in scro-
fulo-venereal ulcers, in syphilitic swellings of the lymphatic glands,
and in inveterate itch. He administered it also internally, dis-
HYDRARGYRI DEUTO-IODIDUM.
283
solved in alcohol or ether, in scrofulous affections complicated
with syphilis, and with advantage. In its effects, it resembles the
corrosive sublimate, whilst the proto-iodide resembles calomel.
Rayer,* indeed, considers the deuto-iodide more active than the
corrosive sublimate. Paillard found it very efficacious in chronic
cutaneous eruptions. He dipped a camel's hair pencil in a weak
solution of the deuto-iodide in ether, and penciled the parts
with it three or four times a day. In this way he cured several
squamous, tuberculous, and other eruptions, exciting scarcely any
pain. As, however, this mode of applying it often failed, he em-
ployed 5j mixed with ^j of oil of almonds in the same manner.
If the corrosive action was considerable, a sense of heat soon
arose in the part, which gradually terminated in burning pain.
The neighbouring parts were also hot, painful, and tumefied; and,
in the course of an hour, an effusion of serum took place ; but, in
four or five hours, the pain always disappeared.' If applied on the
cheeks or lips, salivation at times ensued suddenly. Scabs formed,
which fell off in a few days, and exposed a red surface much
disposed to cicatrise- When frequently applied, symptoms oc-
curred, which were probably the consequences of its being ab-
sorbed,—namely,Tever, colic, diarrhoea, and dysentery. Brescheff
applied it, in the form of ointment, with great success, in a case
of obstinate ulceration, presumed to be carcinomatous, at the an-
gle of the eye. Blasius advises it internally and externally
in lupus, and it has been recently recommended highly by Dr.
J. W. Schmidt, Junr., of New York,J in cases of the same affec-
tion, and especially in the dartre vhnhienne. Both the protoio-
dide and the deuto-iodide were given internally. These cases,
as well as syphilitic sore throat, of'long standing, which had been
previously treated by mercury withoutsuccess, Dr. Schmidt found
to yield invariably to a pill of a quarter of a grain of the proto-
iodide, and a grain of Extractum Conii, given night and morn-
ing, and afterwards three times daily. After using these pills for
from four to eight weeks, he substitutes the solution of iodide of
potassium, changing, in the first place, the action of the parts bv
cauterizing the throat with the solid argenti nitras. Dr. Schmidt
has not found it necessary to carry the protoiodide so far as to
touch the mouth, but should it accidentally do so, he stops the
mercury, and goes on with the iodide of potassium. Tiinnermann
used it with advantage, in the form of ointment, for the removal
of furuncular inflammation of the glands of the neck. Riecke,^
likewise, employed it as a discutient, (gr. xvj to 5j of lard,) in a
* Treatise on Skin Diseases, by Dr. Willis, p. 79. See, also, Puche, Jour-
nal des Connaissances Medicales, Oct. et Nov. 1S;38, and Janvier, 1839.
f Lugol's Essays on Iodine, by O'Shaughnessy, p. 204.
X American Journal of the Medical Sciences, Feb. 1840, p. 301.
{ Die neuern Arzneimittel, u. s. vv. S. 270.
284
HYDRARGYRI DEUTO-IODIDUM.
case of ganglion in the region of the knee—whence violent pain
proceeded along the nerves when it was pressed upon—and in
two cases of goitre, with great success. Whenever it has to be
applied over an extensive surface, as in the disease last mention-
ed, it has generally to be discontinued soon, in consequence of
the supervention of inflammation of the cutaneous surface.
In the form of a weak ointment—composed of the deuto-iodide
which was usually doubled
daily until the patient took ^iji daily, which quantity was perse-
vered in for some weeks. In some of the cases the faeces, urine,.
and perspiration were all coloured blue.
In other trials, instituted in the same excellent charity, with the
indigo, the results were not as favourable.* It is obvious, indeed,
that a wide difference must exist amongst cases of epilepsy, and
that where the organic modifications are considerable, as indi-
cated by concomitant mania or idiocy, but little can be expected
from any remedy; but even in such hopeless cases, the number of
paroxysms appears to have diminished under its use. Where
the cerebral affection is slight and more functional than organic,
the indigo, like the artemisia and other remedies extolled in epi-
lepsy, may be useful. Its main efficacy, perhaps—as we have
said of the Ferrum Carbqnatum Pracipitatum (p. 208)—consists
in the new impression which it makes, in adequate doses, upon
the nerves of the stomach, and through them upon those of the
whole system; but to effect the revulsion to the proper extent, it
is necessary that the dose should be augmented day by1 day, and
the remedy be continued in large doses for a sufficient length of
time.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
As the indigo is extremely light, the powder is too bulky for
administration; it is taken with disgust, and is apt to excite vo-
miting. On this account, the form of electuary was selected in
the Charite. It was generally combined with the pulvis aromati-
cus, or the pulvis Doveri. As to the dose, Roth advises, that it
should be commenced in grains but be elevated to drams, nay
even to one or more ounces in the day. In the Charite", the fol-
lowing formula? were generally employed:—
Pulvis Indigi.
Powder of Indigo.
S. Indig. subtilissim. pulver. 3ss.
Pulv. aromat. gr. v. M. et fiat pulvis.
A powder to be given four times a day.
* Dr. William H. McKee, in Dunglison's Amer. Med. Intelligencer, Sept.
16, 1839, p. 177.
I0DINUM.
293
Electuarium Indigi.
Electuary of Indigo.
R. Indig. pulv. aquae guttis nonnullis subact ^ss.
Pulv. aromat. Jss.
Syr. simpl. ?j.
M. et fiat electuarium.
To be used in the course of the day. Ideler.
IODINUM.
Synonymes.—Iodinium, Iodium, Iodum, Iodina, Iodine.
French.—lode.
German.—Iod.
Iodine was accidentally discovered, in the year 1812, by Cour-
tois, a manufacturer of saltpetre at Paris, but it was chiefly
through the labours of Gay-Lussac and Sir Humphry Davy,* that
the chemical relations of this elementary body were appreciated.
The discoverer first detected it in the mother waters of soda ob-
tained from sea-weed; and as it was found to exist chiefly in se-
veral of the sea-weeds, and especially in the sponges, it struck
Coindet,p that experiments might be made with it in goitre; from
these he obtained such valuable results that its reputation soon
spread abroad, and it was employed in various other diseases,—
often with the most marked advantage:
By experience, too, the injurious effects which it is generally
considered capable of inducing were appreciated, so that it could
be administered more satisfactorily than at an earlier period.
By the continued investigations of the chemist, iodine was found
to be more largely distributed than was at first imagined. It was
discovered in many of the marine mollusca, in sea-water, and in
several mineral waters.
* Annales de Chimie, lxxxviii. xc. and torn, xci., and Philos. Transact. 1814
and 1815.
f Bibliotheque Universelle, Juillet, 1820, p. 190.
294
IODINUM.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
Iodine is obtained from the mother waters of the soda derived
from sea-plants, in which it exists in the form of hydriodate of
potassa. The waters are procured by burning different kinds of
weeds which grow on the sea-shore, lixiviating the ashes, and con-
centrating the liquor. To obtain the iodine from this liquor, an
excess of concentrated sulphuric acid is added to it, and the whole
is boiled gently in a glass retort furnished with a receiver. The
sulphuric acid lays hold of the basis of the hydriodic salt, and of
the hydrogen of the hydriodic acid; whence result sulphate of po-
tassa, water, sulphurous acid and iodine; the last passing over into
the receiver in violet fumes with a little acid, and there becoming
condensed. To purify the iodine, it may be washed with water,
containing a little potassa, and be redistilled.*
Iodine is solid at the ordinary temperature, of a foliated ap-
pearance, metallic lustre; of a grayish black colour similar to
that of plumbago, and friable. Its taste is hot, notwithstanding
its sparing solubility in water. It is soluble in 7000 parts of thai
fluid, and the solution has an orange yellow colour. Its specific-
gravity is 4.946 at 62° of Fahrenheit. Its smell is similar to that
of chlorine, with which it accords in its property of destroying
vegetable colours. It possesses in a high degree, electro nega-
tive properties. It colours the skin yellow, which colour gradu-
ally disappears. It fuses at 220° Fahrenheit. The vapour is of a
beautiful violet colour, whence its name (
inflamed urethra and chordee, inflammation of the bursa, chronic
ophthalmia, and opacities of the cornea (being much diluted,) dis-
section wounds, &c.
The strength of the remedy, in the several cases, must depend
upon the judgment of the practitioner.*
* British and Foreign Med.Review, Oct. 1839, p. 523. See, also, Dr. Lan-
gon, Lon. Lancet, June 27,1840, p. 484.
320
IODINUM.
With regard to the relative value of the preparations of iodine,
Dr. A. Buchanan,* is inclined to place them in the following
order:—Iodide of starch, hydriodic acid, (iodine,) and iodide of
potassium; although he admits, that the superiority he ascribes to
the first is, perhaps, owing to his having prescribed it most fre-
quently. The action of all of these is, however, similar. The
only mode, he thinks, of explaining the similarity of action on the
body of substances so dissimilar in nature, is by considering the
hydriodic acid as the active principle; free iodine being immedi-
ately converted in the stomach into hydriodic acid.
In the Glasgow Infirmary, they are in the habit of preparing a
liquid hydriodic acid; by dissolving three hundred and thirty
grains of the iodide of potassium in ^iss of distilled water; and
two hundred and sixty-four grains of tartaric acid in a like quan-
tity : the solutions are then mixed, and when the bitartrate of po-
tassa has subsided, the fluid is filtered. Water enough is then
added to make ^vj and 3ij- Each dram of this liquid acid
contains five grains of iodine. The acid, thus prepared, is,
however, very liable to change, and is necessarily variable in its
effects.f
Lastly; from his researches on the effects of the various prepa-
rations of iodine, Dr. CogswellJ infers, 1. That iodine and hydrio-
date of potassa act very much in the same way, but that there is
still a difference, not merely in point of power, but of specific pro-
perties. 2. That, whatever be the proper action of the iodide of
sulphur, its facility of decomposition gives it a resemblance to
iodine. 3. That the iodides of carbon, so far as examined, have
an action peculiar to themselves: and, 4. That, in those metallic
iodides which were submitted to examination, the preponderance
of power is on the side of the bases.
METHOD OP ADMINISTERING.
The iodine is not easily given internally in substance—in the
form of pill or powder; neither are these forms to be recommended.
Coindet preferred it in the form of tincture; and this is one of the
most common modes in which it is administered. When, how-
ever, the tincture is taken with water, a great part of the iodine
is thrown down, and, it has been conceived, may thus exert a
noxious influence on the stomach ; but in the small doses in which
it is taken, such an effect can scarcely be anticipated. It would
* Med. Gazette, July 2,1836.
f Guibourt, in Revue Medicale, Aoat, 1837; and Bulletin General deThe-
rapeutique, Sept. 1837.
X Essay on Iodine, p. 167. Edinb. 1837.
IODINUM.
321
seem, however, that, in the generality of cases, when iodine has
disagreed, it has been in the form of tincture. For this reason,
of late years, iodine has been given more in watery solution; and,
to promote the solution, the iodide of potassium, (q. v.) is added;
or a little salt, according to Lugol's prescription. An ethereal
solution is also prescribed. Externally, it is applied in the form
of tincture, ointment, or watery solution, or in baths, or fumiga-
tions. Frictions with iodine readily occasion a considerable ir-
ritation of the skin, which commonly soon passes away, when
the friction is suspended for a time. After bathing a part,
painful rubefaction of the skin often ensues, which is usually
followed by perspiration and sleep. The iodine is given inter-
nally, in the dose of one-eighth of a grain to a grain, twice or
thrice a day.
The following are some of the forms in which the pure iodine
is administered internally and externally.
Tinctura Iodini.
Tincture of Iodine.
(Synonyme.—Tinctura seu Alcohol lodii.)
R. Iodini, gr. xlviij,
Solve in alcohol 35° (s. g. .842) ij.
Dose.—Ten drops to be given in some mucilaginous or saccha-
rine fluid, or in wine and water. Coindet and Magendie.
The Tinctura Iodini, of the Pharmacopoeia of the United States,
consists of half an ounce of Iodine to half a pint of Alcohol.
Mr. Durand, an able pharmacien of Philadelphia, finds, that
forty grains of the iodine and 3x of rectified spirit form a satu-
rated solution. Based on this fact, the following formula has
been given, which does not seem, however, to possess any advan-
tages over the simple tincture.
R. Iodin. optim. 9ij.
Spirit, vini rect. 5j.
Spirit, lavand. comp. 3ij.
Dose.—Ten to twenty drops twice a day, gradually increasing
it to forty.* &
* Ellis's Medical Formulary, 5th edit. p. 91. Philad. 1838.
28
322 IODINUM.
Tinctura JFtherea Iodini.
Ethereal Tincture of Iodine.
Synonymes.—Tinctura Iodii .Etherea. (French.-^Ether iodurt.)
R. iEther. sulphuric. 3i.
Iodini, gr. vj. M.
Dose.—Eight or ten drops, two or three times a day.
Magendie.
Decoctum Cinchona cum Tinctura Iodini.
Decoction of Cinchona with Tincture of Iodine.
R. Decoct, cinchon. 5x.
Tinct. iodin. gtt. xc. M.
Dose.—Two spoonfuls, three times a day. In scrofulous ulcers.
Rey.
Mistura Iodini.
Mixture of Iodine.
R. Iodin. gr. v.
Alcohol. 3ij«
Solve et adde
Aq. cinnam. ±iiss.
Syrup, simpl. 5iss. M.
To be taken in the twenty-four hours, in dram doses.
Syrupus Iodini.
Syrup of Iodine.
R. Tinctur. iodin. gr. vj.
Syrup, simpl. 5ij. M.
Henry.
Solutio Iodini. (Lugol's.) (French.—Boissoii iodee.)
Solution of Iodine.
(1. For internal use.)
A. B. C.
R. Iodin. gr. I gr. f. gr. j.
Sodae muriat. gr. xij. gr. xij. gr. xij.
Aquae destill. Jfej. ftj. foj.
Solve.
IODINUM.
323
(2. For external use.)
A. B. C.
R. Iodin. gr. ij. gr. iij. gr. iv.
Aq. destill. fej. fbj- tbj-
Solve.
Lugol gives formulae for the solution of the three different
strengths above.
Unguentum Iodini.
Unguentum lodatum, Ointment of Iodine. French.—Pommade
d'lode. German.—Iodsalbe.
R. Iodin. gr. iij.
Adipis, 5y. M.
Linimentum Iodini.
Liniment of Iodine.
g. Linirn. sapon. comp. ^j.
Tinct. iodin. 3j. M.
Manson,
Cataplasma Iodini.
Cataplasm of Iodine.
R. Tinct. iodin. 5ss.
Pulv. sem. lin. 5j.
Farin. avenae, 5iij.
Aquae destillat. q. s. ut fiat cataplasma.
Used as a cataplasm in scrofulous tumours and goitre.
The Iodide of Starch, Iodidum seu loduretum Amyli, Amylum
lodatum; French, Iodure d'Amidon; German, Iodstarkmehl,
lodstarke, Starkmehl-oder Satzmehliodure, has been extolled by
Dr. Andrew Buchanan,* of Glasgow. It is prepared of iodine
gr. xxiv.; starch, in fine powder, ^j. The iodine is first triturated
with a little water, and the starch is gradually added, the tritura-
tion being continued till the compound assumes a uniform blue
colour. The iodide is then dried with a heat so gentle as not to
* Lond. Med. Gazette, July 2, 1836; see, also, Soubeiran, in Revue Medi-
eale, Aout, 1837.
324
IODINUM.
drive off the iodine, and it must be afterwards kept in a well
stopped bottle.
Iodine, in the usual forms of exhibition, cannot in general be
safely given in larger doses than four or six grains daily, whilst,
in the above formula, Dr. Buchanan has given as much as seventy-
two grains daily.
Professor Forget, of Strasbourg, has published the case of a
youth, seventeen years of age, who took in 48 days, 139 ounces,
or nearly nine pounds, of this iodide, containing 3336 grains, or
nearly six ounces, of iodine,—being nearly sixteen grains a day.*
It is proper, however, to state, that Dr. Laurie, of Glasgow,f
thought it proved fatal in a case, in which not more of the iodide
than corresponded to a grain of iodine, had been given twice a
day for five days.
An Iodide or Ioduret of Quinine, Iodidum Quinine, is formed
by precipitating sulphate of quinine by means of hydriodate of
potassa. It is a yellow precipitate, soluble in alcohol, and crys-
tallises from this solution in quadrangular prisms. It has been
employed for the cure of scrofulous tumours, in cases where iodine
and tonics are indicated.;};
The Iodide of Ammonium, Iodidum seu loduretum Ammonia, Hy-
driodate of Ammonia (in solution,) loduret of Ammonia—is formed
by saturating liquid hydriodic acid with caustic ammonia and
evaporating the solution. It crystallises with difficulty and is
deliquescent. It was introduced into medical practice by M.
Biett, of Paris as a valuable therapeutical agent in certain diseases
of the skin. Several successful cases of its employment in lepra
and psoriasis, by M. Biett, are given by Dr. Pennock,§ accom-
panied by interesting remarks by the latter. It is administered
in the form of ointment, from a scruple to a dram of the iodide
being added to an ounce of lard;—the weaker ointment being
used in milder or more acute, and the latter in more inveterate
cases. The ointment should be freshly prepared, or kept excluded
from the air as it is readily decomposed.
The other preparations of iodine are contained in different
parts of this volume.
* Gazette des Hdpitaux, Fev. 19, 1839, and Lond. Med. Gaz. April 20,1839,
p. 127.
f Lond. Med. Gaz. July 3, 1840, p. 590.
X Journal de Chimie Medicale, Mars. J836.
§ Amer. Journ. of the Med. Sciences, Feb. 1835, p. 874.
lactucarium.
325
LACTUCARIUM.
Synonymes. Lettuce Opium, Thridace.
German. Lattich-Opium.
The ancient Greek and Roman physicians were well aware
of the hypnotic property of the common garden lettuce {lactuca
saliva,) the milky juice of which contains the lactucarium. It
would appear, however, that Dr. J. R. Coxe, of Philadelphia, was
the first to propose the use of the inspissated juice in medicine.*
Dr. Duncan, Senr., of Edinburgh, subsequently paid particular at-
tention to the subject, and recommended it as a remedy in phthisis,
in place of opium.f The properties of the juice have also been
investigated by M. Frangois,J a French physician.
method of preparing.
There are three kinds of lactucarium. The first and best, but
the most costly, is obtained from incisions made into the stalks,
whence the juice exudes, which is subsequently dried in the air.
This preparation has a bitter taste, soon becomes of a brown co-
lour, and solid, has a gummy fracture, but absorbs moisture from
the air, becoming soft and clammy.
The second variety is obtained by expression of the selected
stalks, and subsequent desiccation of the obtained fluid, either in
the air or by artificial warmth. This is said to be the variety
most commonly met with in commerce;^ and the third variety is
prepared in the same manner as any common extract, from all
parts of the plant. This is the Thridace of some.
The first is the strongest and most uniform, and therefore to be
preferred.
Chemical examination shows that the lactucarium contains
neither morphine nor narcotine, as had been supposed.
* Wood and Bache's Dispensatory, 4th edit. p. 400. Lond. 1839.
f Observations on Consumption, 2d edit. Edinb. 1816.
\ Archiv. General, de Medecine, 1825. Journal Univer. xl. 254, and xli.
147. See, also, Fischer, in Rust's Mao-azin. B. liii. Heft 1.
\ Riecke, Die neuern Arzueimittel, S. 313; and 2te Auflao-e, S. 473, Stutt-
gart, 1840. See, also, Merat & de Lens, Diet, de Mat. Med. art. Lactuca
Sativa.
28*
326
LACTUCARIUM.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
To investigate these, Rothamel* instituted experiments with the
Paris lactucarium. Half a grain to a grain produced little or no
effect. From three to five grains occasioned a peculiar inde-
scribable feeling of lightness over the whole body, without any
narcotic symptoms or modification in the pulse: from six to eight
grains increased this sensation, and caused dilatation of the pupils.
The same doses, repeated at intervals of three or four hours,
through the day, diminished the number of pulsations of the
heart, and the sleep was disturbed. From ten to fifteen grains
caused more indisposition, nausea, oppression in the epigastrium,
cold sweats, anxious respiration, cold sensation in the chest,
great dulness, vertigo, considerable dilatation of the pupils, yawn-
ing and stretching, slow pulse, disturbed sleep, general prostra-
tion ; the tongue to be coated with mucus; disagreeable taste;
loss of appetite; pains in the shoulders and bones, and uncertain
gait; all which symptoms were speedily removed by a few drops
of acetic ether or a glass of Rhenish wine. Coffee was much less
efficacious.
The lactucarium has been extolled by numerous physicians as
equally effective with opium, whilst it is not—they assert—fol-
lowed by the signs of narcosis and other inconveniences, so often
induced by the latter. Accordingly it is frequently given where
a pure sedative is needed—to allay cough, and where much ner-
vous excitement is present. It has also been used topically in the
form given below, by Rau,f of Berlin, in catarrhal ophthalmia,
and a solution in the proportion of four grains to the ounce, has
been advised in acute inflammation of the conjunctiva, by Gui-
hext.%
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The lactucarium is given internally, either in the form of so-
lution or pill, in the dose of from one third of a grain to three
grains. Externally, it has been applied in the form of plaster or
of ointment.
* Ferussac's Bulletin des Sciences Medicales, xxii. Paris, 1830.
f Berliner. Medicin. central-zeitungs Nov. 2,1838.
t Froriep's Notizen, Bl. xxi. S. 320, and Osann. art. Lactuca, Encyclopad.
Worterb. der medicinschen urssenchaiten, xx. 697. Berlin, 1839.
MAGNES.
327
Mistura Lactucarii.
Mixture of Lactucarium.
R. Lactucar. 9j.
Mucilag. gum. acac. q. s. ad subactionem.
Perfecte unitis adfunde
Aq. fontan ?vj.
Syrup, rub. idaei, 5ss. M.
Dose.—Two spoonfuls every two hours, in spasmodic cough.
sleeplessness and hysteria. Hildenbrand.
R. Acid, boracic. 3ij.
Lactucarii, 9j.
Solve in
Aq. destillat. 5vj.
Syrup, papav. 5ss. M.
Dose.—A small spoonful—in cases of " spastic haemoptysis."
Rothamel.
Collyrium Lactucarii.
Eye-Wash of Lactucarium.
R. Lactucar. gr. iij.
Aq. destillat. 3iij.
Mucilag. cydon. gtt. xx. M.
Rau.
MAGNES.
Synonymes.—Magnet.
French.—Aimant, Pierre d'Aimant.
The natural magnet was employed of old both externally and
internally, and in the most diversified forms and affections.* The
artificial magnet has been used within the last century only, and
always with a view to,its magnetic action.
* Art. Aimant, in Diet. Univers. de Matiere Medicale par Me>at and De
Lens.
328
MAGNES.
It is generally on the diseased part, or around it, that the mag-
net is applied, and the application is made for a longer or shorter
time according to circumstances—being at times drawn along the
nerves of the affected part, at others applied in a more prolonged
manner.
It is on the nervous system—and chiefly through the influence
of the imagination—that the magnet exerts its efficacy. Accord-
ingly, the class of diseases in which it has been found most bene-
ficial are those termed " nervous and spasmodic."* This is
strikingly shown by the published observations of MM. Andry
and Thouret,f Commissioners of the Societe Royale de Medecine,
appointed to examine into this matter. In cases of spasms, pal-
pitations, convulsions, epilepsy, tremors, cramps, neuralgia, rheu-
matism, &c. the only agent employed was the magnet, and it was
wholly successful. These gentlemen, however, were disposed to
infer that the magnet exerts an incontestable magnetic action on
the nervous system, to which, in part at least, the curative agency
must be ascribed, and their conclusions were thought to be cor-
roborated by cases observed by Alibert, Cayol, Chomel, Reca-
mier, &c. The celebrated Laennec,J who employed the magnet
in the manner recommended by HaHe, that is, by establishing a
magnetic current through the diseased parts by means of several
magnetised plates, affirms, that he frequently found it moderate
the pain in pulmonary neuralgia, diminish the oppression in ner-
vous asthma, suspend spasmodic hiccough, and exhibit its utility
in simple neuralgia of the heart, and in angina pectoris. In
the last disease, the application of a small blister under the an-
terior plate appeared to render the effects of the magnet more
marked.
It is not many years since considerable interest was excited in
London by the success, said to have been obtained in the treat-
ment of neuralgia, toothach, and other affections of the nerves, by
the application of the ordinary magnet or mineral magnet, as it
was termed by Dr. Blundell who employed it.§
It would appear, too, that owing to a considerable demand for
loadstone, the conductors of the Bulletino delle Scienze Mediche,||
of Bologna, were led to make inquiries concerning the uses to
* See the Author's General Therapeutics, p. 58. Philad. 1836.
f Mem. de la Societe Royale de Medecine de Pan*, pour 1776, p. 531, and
Thouret, Art. Aimant, in Encycloped. Method. Purtie Medicale, i. 421.
Paris, 1786.
X Traite de l'Auscultation Mediate, 2d edit. torn. ii.
I See Lancet for 1833, and American Journal of the Medical Sciences, Nov.
1833, p. 247.
|| Marzo et Aprile, 1835; and British and Foreign Medical Review, July,
1836, p. 246.
MANNITUM.
329
which it was put. From these it appeared, that the Ex-Bey of
Algiers, whilst at Leghorn, in 1831, mentioned to a Catholic dig-
nitary, Father Campagnoli, who was suffering under gout, that
the application of the loadstone was an oriental remedy for the
disease, and of certain efficacy. He immediately procured a
piece of loadstone, as he had been subject to regular and frequent
attacks of gout since 1805, and its application removed the next
paroxysm. Since this time, he has always had recourse to the
same remedy, and has found, that the attacks come on less fre-
quently and severely, and that they invariably yield, so that he
has rejected all his former plans of treatment. On the first symp-
tom he goes to bed, and places the loadstone in close contact
with the pained part; he presently falls asleep, and awakes free
from pain, and able to walk. The loadstone he uses weighs
five pounds, and has smooth sides. He has recommended this
plan to other gouty individuals, who have experienced similar
relief.
We have witnessed the application of the mineral magnet re-
peatedly, in nervous diseases, in persons of highly impressible
habits; but except in such,and apart from the effects of the ima-
gination, we have seen no beneficial results.
MANNITUM.
Synonymes. Saccharum Mannse, Mannita, Mannite.
German. Mannit, Mannazucker, Mannastoff.
This principle, which was first discovered by Proust, belongs
to the varieties of sugar that are not susceptible of fermentation,
and constitutes the chief ingredient of manna. Its presence is not
confined, however, to that substance. It is met with in several
other vegetable juices—cucumbers, melons, celery, beets, &c.
Yet in these it is first found after fermentation, so that chemists
have been disposed to regard it as a product of fermentation.*
* Art. Mannite, in Merat & De Lens, Diet, de Mat. Med.
330 MANNITUM.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
Mannite is commonly procured from manna. Manna in la-
chrymis, as it is obtained in commerce, is treated with boiling
alcohol, filtered, and suffered to crystallise; by rest and refrige-
ration mannite is precipitated in small, beautiful, white needles.
The manna in tears consists almost wholly of mannite. Com-
mon manna, on the other hand, contains but little thereof, and in
its place has a yellow extractive matter to which cathartic pro-
perties have been assigned; the coarse manna consists almost
wholly of the latter. To obtain the mannite, the manna in tears
is consequently selected.
Should the administration of mannite, as a remedial agent, be-
come more common, it may be worth the trouble to inquire,
whether it might not be advantageous to prepare it from the ve-
getable juices above mentioned.
Mannite, prepared in the above manner, is of a white colour;
soluble in five parts of cold water, and in almost every propor-
tion in boiling water; it seems to be entirely insoluble in cold abso-
lute alcohol; is somewhat more so in boiling alcohol, and still
more so in boiling alcohol which contains water. At from 221°
to 230° Fahrenheit, it melts into a colourless, adhesive fluid, and
crystallises on cooling. When more strongly heated, it burns,
and is decomposed like sugar. From its alcoholic solutions it se-
parates on cooling, in white, silky, shining, needle-shaped crys-
tals, collected in stelliform roundish masses.
When mannite is dissolved in an equal weight of boiling wa-
ter, and the fluid is evaporated by a strong fire and rapid ebulli-
tion, until a small portion placed on a cold glass plate rapidly be-
comes solid, it may be poured out into shapes.
The taste of the sugar of manna is feeble, but agreeably sweet;
it is inodorous, or at least nearly so. According to Liebig, man-
nite consists of 40.0228 of carbon, 7.6234 of hydrogen, and 52.
3537 of oxygen.
The granatine of the pomegranate root agrees so much with
the mannite in its properties, that both have been regarded as the
same substance.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
According to Magendie,* mannite may be advantageously sub-
* Formulaire, &c. dern. £dit.
MANNITUM.
331
stituted for manna; as it possesses the cathartic property without
the nauseous flavour. The dose is two drams for children, and,
at times, as much as half an ounce; but, in the latter case, Ma-
gendie always found the catharsis too active; for this reason he
considers the latter to be the best dose for the adult. He recom-
mends, that a syrup should be prepared from it, and that this
should be prescribed both as a cathartic for children at the
breast, and as an addition to other articles in cases of pulmonary
catarrh.
M. Solon has likewise spoken favourably of the therapeutical
advantages of the sugar of manna. He administered it in three
cases of gastricism—in two of them combined with castor oil—in
which it induced, in a few hours, critical evacuations ; and in a
case of peritonitis occasioned by obstinate constipation, its use
was followed by the best effects. In the last case, the inflamma-
tion completely disappeared, without any other agency, when the
constipation yielded. It was found, likewise, of essential service
in convalescence from bronchitis and pneumonia. Only in two
cases of females—the one labouring under ascites—the other
under phlegmasia dolens, did the mannite fail to have any aperi-
ent agency. This, it was presumed, was probably owing to both
of the patients having been habituated to the use of powerful ca-
thartics, and to there not being enough of the preparation to ad-
mit of the administration of the appropriate quantity.
According to Solon, mannite may be given in the dose of one
or two ounces dissolved in from two to four ounces of a hot aro-
matic water, the solution to be taken warm, otherwise it forms a
stiff, adhesive mass; or it may be added to the ordinary cathartic
potions. He assigns it the preference over manna and castor oil;
first, because it has an agreeable saccharine taste, and secondly,
because it is always equally good, whilst those substances are
often deteriorated, and on that account uncertain in their effects.
It appeared to him to be peculiarly adapted for cases in which it
was desirable to evacuate the intestines with as little excitation as
possible.
Magendie, in his recent lectures on the blood, classes mannite
amongst the substances that promote the coagulation of that
fluid.*
* Leepns sur le Sang, &c. &c. Translation in Lond. Lancet for Jan. 26
1839, p. 636.
332
MONESIA.
MONESIA.
This vegetable substance has been imported into Europe, from
South America, within the last two or three years; and, in conse-
quence of the trials that have been made with it, by the French
practitioners more especially ,it has been introduced, within the pre-
sent year, (1840,) into this country. It is imported into France
in the form of hard, thick cakes, weighing upwards of twenty
pounds. These cakes or loaves are much flattened, and have a
yellowish coloured paper strongly adhering to them.* They are
composed of an extract, prepared in South America, from the
bark of a tree, the botanical name of which is yet unknown. It
would seem, that a French merchant, who had dwelt for a long
time in the interior of South America, and had witnessed
the surprising effects in certain diseases, from the employ-
ment of an extract, which they made from the bark of a tree
of the country, determined to import it into France, and to sub-
mit it to the experiments of his medical and pharmaceutical coun-
trymen.! A quantity of the drug was accordingly sent to Paris,
and placed in the hands of M. Derosne. About a year and a
half after this, he obtained some specimens of the bark of the
tree, from which he procured an extract presenting all the cha-
racters of the extract previously sent to him, and identical in its
composition. This bark is said, byM. Derosne, to be called by
some travellers Goharem, and, by others, Buranhem; and the natu-
ralists, who have examined it there, think that the tree, which fur-
nished it, is a Chrysophyllum.J The bark of the Monesia is smooth
and grayish like that of the plane tree; but with this difference,
that it is much thicker; that its fracture is imbricated, and that
its sweet taste contrasts singularly with the bitterness of the thin
lamina? that are detached from the plane tree.
The extract is pf a deep brown colour. It is very friable, and
its fracture presents the same appearance as that of a well torre-
fied Cacao Nut. It is wholly soluble in water, and its taste,—
which is at first sweet like liquorice,—soon becomes astringent,
* Martin Saint-Ange, Gazette Medicale de Paris, Oct. 19, 1839.
f Bernard Derosne, Notice sur le Monesia, Paris, 1839; and Sigmond, Lond.
Lancet, 1840.
X See a Translation of a Communication by M. Saint-Ange, in Lond. Med.
Gazette, Dec. 20, 1839, p. 491; in American Journal of Pharmacy, July,
1840, and in Dunglison's American Med. Intel. March, 1840, p. 363.
MONESIA.
333
and leaves behind a well-marked and enduring acrid taste, which
is felt especially in the tonsils.
The chemical analysis of the bark has detected the following
soluble principles:—chlorophylle; vegetable wax; a fatty and
crystallizable matter; glycyrrhizine; an acrid and slightly bitter
matter; a little tannin; an organic acid, not studied; a red co-
louring matter, analogous to that of cinchona; phosphates of
lime and magnesia; and salts of lime, Math an organic acid.* The
extract contains nearly 8 per cent of glycyrrhizine, and 20
per cent of acrid matter; and no difference was found by M.
Derosne on analysis between the imported extract and that pre-
pared from the bark.
An analysis by M. Persoz,f Professor at the Academie des
Sciences, of Paris, gave the following as the constituents of the
extract:—Tannin, rendering iron blue, 52; gum or mucilage, 10:
sweet matter, 36; loss, 2.
It has been recently suggested, that the bark of the Monesia is
identical with that of the Quillaia Saponaria, of Chili. Neither the
bark nor the extract would seem, however, to be identical, al-
though in certain respects they resemble each other: moreover,
the analysis of the Quillaia was made by MM. Henry fils and
Bourtron-Charlard, and if the Monesia and the Quillaia were the
same, the identity could not have failed to be detected, by these
distinguished chemical analysts.J
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN HEALTH.
When Monesia is exhibited internally, in the dose of 15 grains
to a scruple of the extract, daily, for eight or ten days, it exerts,
at first, a direct action on the digestive passages, and accelerates
in a remarkable manner, the action of the stomach. If the dose
be pushed to a dram or more in the day, and it be continued for
fifteen or twenty days, the appetite increases, but a feeling of heat
is experienced in the epigastric region; and tenesmus and obstinate
constipation may likewise supervene.§ Its action is manifestly
excitant, and slightly astringent, and as such it may be adapted
for many pathological conditions in which such agencies are in-
dicated.
* Bernard Derosne, and O. Henry, in Notice sur le Monesia, par B. De-
rosne; and in Tableau Synoptique, &.c, du Monesia, par. M. Saint-Ange. See
also, Saint-Ange, in Op. cit.
f Forget, Bulletin General de Therapeutique, Avril, 1839.
X See, on this subject, Drs. Chaloner and Ruschenberger, in Dunglison's
Amer. Med. Intel. Sept. 15, 1840, p. 184-187. Merat and De Lens, art. Quil-
laja; and the analysisof the Quillah, by Bourtron Charlard, and Henry fils, in
Journal de Pharmacie, xiv. p. 247; and in Amer. Journ. Pharmacy, for Oct.
1840, p. 210, with remarks by Dr. Carson, the editor.
{ Martin Saint-Ange, Op. cit.
29
334
MONESIA.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY IN DISEASE.
Possessed of the properties described above, monesia has been
used in the various profluvia, and especially in such as are of an
atonic character.
In chronic bronchitis, and bronchorrhea, it has been success-
fully employed by Alquie, Dagnac, Manec and others, sometimes
alone, at others associated with opium ; and, in the majority of
cases, benefit has appeared to accrue from its use. The same has
been the result in hemoptysis, according to Alquie. On phthisis,
it of course exerted no direct efficacy; but its administration ap-
pears to have been followed by increased tone of stomach; and
facility of expectoration. The first of these results has led to its
use in languor of the digestive functions; and it has been given as
atonic to females, who have been exhausted either by antecedent
maladies, or by uterine hemorrhage. In one case,* where the de-
bility was so great that syncope was induced on the least move-
ment of the body, the extract was given in pills in the dose of six-
teen grains in the course of the day, with the best effect.
In chronic enteritis, it has been prescribed by Alquie, Baron,
Manec, Monod and others, and, in many cases with decided ad-
vantage. Its success is said to have been most marked in diarrhea,
especially when owing to improper diet; and even in the colliqua-
tive diarrhea of phthisis it has acted beneficially. B. Derosne
affirms, that surprising results have followed its administration
in the diarrhcea of phthisis with intestinal ulceration, after all
astringents had been employed to no purpose. Notwithstanding
the disadvantageous circumstances in these cases, the monesia is
said to have constantly mastered the diarrhcea. Dr. Joseph S.
Nancrede/j* gave it successfully in a case of diarrhcea of long
standing, and Dr. BurnsJ in two cases of chronic diarrhcea suc-
ceeding to cholera infantum.
In leucorrhea, the efficacy of monesia, as of every other
astringent, is less marked than in diarrhcea. Where the internal
treatment is alone employed, the astringent has to pass into the
mass of blood, and in this manner to act upon the parts concern-
ed, whilst in every form of chronic enteritis, it can come into im-
mediate contact with the seat of the disease. Injections of mo-
nesia have accordingly been more advantageous in leucorrhcea.
M. Baron, after having employed all the ordinary means in a
case of inflammation of the vagina, had recourse to the mbnesia,
which arrested the discharge. M. Payen gives a case in which
* Bernard Derosne, Notice sur le Monesia, p. 7.
t Philadelphia Medical Examiner, April 4,1840, p. 215.
J Ibid. Aug. 15,1840, p. 517.
MONESIA.
335
the monesia, taken internally, augmented the discharge, but when
it was employed in the form of injection, the discharge yielded
and did not recur.
In all the cases of metrorrhagia or uterine hemorrhage, in which
monesia has been given, it is said to have succeeded in moderating
or suppressing the hemorrhage more perfectly than other agents.
It has been given with excellent effects in these cases by MM.
Daynac, Payen, Alquie, and Martin Saint-Ange. In an obstinate
case of menorrhagia, of seven weeks duration, after the usual
agents had been employed in vain, Dr. Chaloner* administered
the extract in the dose of 3 grains in the form of pill, every hour
and a half, until an effect on the discharge was manifest. After
three pills had been taken, benefit was experienced, when the
patient was directed to take three more, one every two hours.
The cure was complete. It is proper to add, that perfect rest,
and cold drinks were used at the same time; and the same may
be said of a successful case reported by Dr. Burns.f
In blennorrhea, it has exerted but little action, when administered
by the stomach; but, when injected into the urethra, it effected a
cure in half the cases, and diminished the amount of the discharge
in the other half.J In a case of well marked scorbutus, with
petechias of the inferior extremities, soft and bleeding gums, and
frequent epistaxis, which had required plugging of the nasal fos-
sae, M. Laurand obtained a complete cure by giving, daily, from
24 to 40 grains of the extract in the form of pill, washing the
mouth, at the same time, with a collutory formed of a dram of
the tincture to four ounces of honey and water, and inhaling, by
the nostrils, acidulated water, containing an ounce of the tincture
to a pint of water.
In two cases of scrophula, the tincture was used internally by
M. Dagnac, and with excellent effects.
In ulcers of a bad character, the monesia has been applied ex-
ternally with advantage; sometimes, in the form of ointment; at
others, of the powdered extract. In venereal and scrophulous
ulcers, excellent effects were obtained from it by MM. Baron and
Martin Saint-Ange. M. Manec used it with benefit in an obsti-
nate serpiginous ulcer of long duration. M. Monod cured a
phagedenic ulcer by it, which had resisted the use of the nitrate
of mercury and the arsenical paste. M. Payen was equally suc-
cessful with an ulcer on the lower jaw, which, for ten months, had
resisted all treatment, internal as well as external. He employed
it likewise with much success in ulcerated chilblain; in two
* Philad. Med. Examiner, July 11, 1840, p. 441.
f Ibid. Aug. 15, p. 517.
| Martin Saint-Ange, op. cit.
336
MONESIA.
cases of stomatitis,* one of a gangrenous character; and in cases
of fissure of the anus, the result of inflammation from hemor-
rhoids.
Two cases of purulent ophthalmia were cured by M. Saint-
Ange; and M. Laurand was equally fortunate in a case of gan-
grenous sloughs on the region of the sacrum.
M. Buchey, Surgeon Dentist, has employed the extract of mo-
nesia in cases of caries of the teeth, the progress of which it ap-
peared to him to retard, and when united with opium, it seemed
to assuage the pain more than when the latter was given singly.
He recommends the use of the tincture to maintain a good state
of the gums.f
Such are the chief diseases in which the monesia has been used.
Its employment can readily be extended to others, by bearing in
mind the nature of its powers.
It would appear, that experiments have been made in Dublin,
and that much benefit had been derived from it as an astringent.J
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
Monesia is generally given in pills of the Extract, in the dose of
twelve to forty grains a day;—the medium dose, in the twenty-
four hours, being fifteen to twenty grains, taken at twice or thrice.
M. Martin Saint-Ange has given it to the extent of forty-five
grains a day.
The Syrup, which contains six grains of extract to the ounce,
is given less frequently. It is esteemed to be less active than the
pure extract, and is preferred only in the case of infants.
The Hydro-alcoholic Tincture, which contains thirty-two grains
of extract to the ounce, has been most commonly given in injec-
tions, in the proportion of a dram, to a dram and a half, to six
ounces of water. The Tincture has also been prescribed inter-
nally in the dose of one or two drams a day in a bitter infusion.
For external use, an Ointment, containing one eighth part of its
weight of the extract, has been applied to ulcers; at-others, the
powdered extract, and at others, again, the acrid matter itself
referred to in the analysis.
* See, also, J. G. Nancrede, Op. cit.
f Bernard Derosne-, Notice sur le Monesia, (fee. &c.
X Sigmond, Op. cit. See, also, Forget, Bulletin General deTherapeutique,
Avril, 1839.
MORPHINA.
337
MORPHINA.
Synonymes.—Morphinum, Morphium, Morpheum, Morphia, Morphine, Pa-
paverine.*
German.—Morphin.
The discovery of this principle is ascribed to Seguin and Ser-
tiirner, who were engaged in the chemical analysis of opium up-
wards of thirty years ago; but although the former may have
first detected it, the latter deserves the credit of having improved
our acquaintance with it, and of having attracted to it the atten-
tion of chemists and physicians.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
The following is M. Robiquet's method :f—he boils a very con-
centrated solution of opium with a small quantity of magnesia—
ten grains of the latter to a pound of opium—for a quarter of an
hour. By this means, a tolerably copious, grayish precipitate is
formed, which is collected on the filter, and washed with cold
water. The well dried precipitate is then digested with weak
alcohol for some time, at a temperature short of ebullition; by
which means a very small quantity of morphine, and a consider-
able quantity of colouring matter, are separated. The liquid is
then filtered, and the residue washed with a little cold alcohol.
It is then boiled for some time in pure alcohol, and filtered again
whilst the liquid still boils. On cooling, the morphine is obtained,
which, by repeated crystallisation, may be freed from the attached
colouring matter.
The process of Hottot is greatly followed in France. It is a
modification of that used by Serturner, and similar to that adopted
in the Pharmacopoeia of the United States, and in the new London
Pharmacopceia.
In this, opium is exhausted by tepid water, and the clear liquid
is evaporated to a density of 2° of Beaume. Whilst the liquid is
still tepid, a small quantity of ammonia is added, in order to render
it neutral or even slightly ammoniacal. In this manner, a brown,
resinoid precipitate is thrown down, which contains only traces of
morphine and narcotine. The liquor is filtered, and by the addi-
f Jahn's Handworterbuch der Chemie, B. iii. S. 150.
Annalesde Chimie et de Physiq. v. 276.
29*
338
MORPHINA.
tion of a fresh quantity of ammonia to it when cold, crystalline
morphine is thrown down, which, when collected, dissolved in
alcohol, and evaporated, is set aside to crystallise.*
Dr. F. Bache regards the process of the U. S. Pharmacopceia
as an improvement upon the last, and as being essentially the
same with that of Dr. Edward Staples, which was published in
the Journal of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy.f
Mr. Brande considers the process proposed by Robertson and
Gregory to be the simplest and the best.J Chloride of calcium is
added to a strong aqueous solution of opium to precipitate the
acids by which the alkaloids are held in solution; it is then filtered
and evaporated to the consistency of syrup, and set aside to cry-
stallise, the crystals are strongly pressed to squeeze out the mo-
ther liquor, which contains narcotine and other impurities. The
pressed crystals are then purified by solution, crystallisation, and
the action of animal charcoal, till they are obtained colourless;
they consist of the hydrochlorates of morphine and codeine; they
are dissolved in hot water, and ammonia is added, which throws
down morphine, and which, being separated upon a filter, may be
redissolved in boiling alcohol, and obtained in crystals. The
liquor, from which the morphine has been precipitated, contains
codeine, together with hydrochlorate of ammonia, and some mor-
phine; it must be evaporated until it crystallises, and the crystal-
lised mass must be dissolved in a small quantity of water, and be
decomposed by excess of a solution of caustic potassa; codeine is
thrown down, and, when redissolved in ether, may be obtained
in crystals. See Codeine, p. 150.
Tilloy, Petit, and others, have obtained morphine on the large
scale from the domestic opium.§
Morphine is composed of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and azote.
The crystals are corhpletely white, translucent, almost transpa-
rent, and slightly opaline; they are wholly inodorous. In the
form of powder, morphine is of loose texture, and as fine as mag-
nesia. It melts at a trifling degree of heat, and very much re-
sembles, in this state, melted sulphur; but it crystallises again on
cooling. It is sparingly soluble in hot water; and in cold water
scarcely at all so. Boiling water, according to Choulant, dis-
solves one eighty-second part; according to Jahn, only one four
hundredth; and according to Bally,|| it is even less soluble than
* Journal de Pharmacie, x. 479.
f Vol. i. p. 15: see Dispensary of the United States, by Drs. Wood &
Bache, 4th edit. Phil. 1839. For Faure's process, see Journal of the Philadel-
phia College of Pharmacy, ii. 71. Philad. 1831.
X Dictionary of Materia Medica, p. 383. Lond. 1839.
I Art. Morphine, in M^rat
pressible persons, occasions a sense of internal heat, especially in
the epigastric region, and not unfrequently it causes perspiration,
especially on the upper lip. Blom is, however, doubtful, whether
these effects are ascribable to the piperine, or to a portion of the
resin of the pepper remaining united with it. He is of opinion,
that both in general debility, and in debility of the digestive appa-
ratus, piperine merits a preference over the sulphate of quinine,
both because it can be better borne by the stomach, and because
it acts more tonically upon it.
In inflammatory intermittents, as well as in those with gastric
complications, the piperine is to be avoided.
Magendie suggests that it should be given in blennorrhea, in
place of the cubebs.
METHOD OF ADMINISTERING.
Pilule Piperina*
Pills of Piperine.
R. Piperin. gr. xij.
Extract, gentian, q. s. ut fiant pilulae xij.
Dose.—-One every hour during the apyrexia of fever.
PLATINUM.
Synonyme.—Platina.
The Preparations of Platinum are not given here, as they are
not used. According to Magendie, they possess analogous pro-
perties to those of the salts of gold. See Auri Praparata.
380
PLUMBI IODIDUM.
PLUMBI IODIDUM.
Synonymes.—Plumbi loduretum seu Iodetum, P. Hydriodas, P. Iodhydras,
Plumbum lodatum, P. Hydroiodicum, Iodide or loduret of Lead.
French.—Iodure de Plomb.
German.—Bleiiodid, Iodblei, Bleiiodiire, Einfach Iodblei, Hydriodsaures oder
jodwasserstoffsaures Blei.
MODE OF PREPARING.
This preparation may be made by adding a solution of one
hundred parts of iodide of potassium to a solusion of seventy-five
parts of the acetate of lead.
The London Pharmacopceia of 1836, gives the following form:—
Take of acetate of lead, nine ounces; iodide of potassium, seven
ounces; distilled water, a gallon (imperial measure:) dissolve the
acetate of lead in six pints of the water, and filter; and to these
add the iodide of potassium, previously dissolved in two pints of
the water: wash the precipitate and dry it.
The iodide of lead is in the form of a bright yellow colour, and
according to Soubeiran,* is soluble in 1235 parts of cold water;
and is somewhat more soluble in boiling water, which, on cool-
ing, deposites the iodide in minute, shining, yellow, crystalline
scales. Rieckef says it is soluble in 1200 parts of cold water,
and in 200 of hot. When heated, it melts, and is dissipated
in vapours, which are at first yellow, and afterwards violet.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
The iodide of lead is not an irritant, when applied even to a
denuded surface.J M. Paton§ administered twelve grains of it
to a cat of moderate size. In four hours the animal did not ap-
pear to experience any inconvenience; twelve more grains were
then given; in twelve hours the animal became uneasy, and con-
stantly refused every kind of food. It appeared to suffer in the
* TraitS de Pharmacie; and Dr. Wood, in Dispensatory of the United States
of America, by Drs. Wood and Bache, 4th edit. p. 998. Philad. 1839.
f Die neuern Arzneimittel, u. s. w. 2te Auflage, S. 563. Stuttgart, 1840.
\ Eager, in Dublin Journal for 1834.
\ British Annals of Medicine, Mar. 3,1837; and Journal de Chimie Medi-
cal, Jan. 1837.
PLUMBI IODIDUM.
381
kidneys; subsequently, it was attacked with violent colic, which
caused it to jump to great heights. Three days after taking the
iodide, it died, suffering dreadfully. The dissection was made
twelve hours afterwards, when no traces of irritation were percep-
tible. M. Paton examined the exterior of the stomach chemically,
but was unable to detect any of the iodide, nor could any portion of
it be discovered in the fasces. He then boiled the intestines and
their contained matters in distilled water; the liquid was filtered
and decolourised by charcoal, but no effect was induced by the
tests for lead. The matter remaining on the filter was digested
in dilute nitric acid: the solution was filtered, and a precipitate
obtained on pouring in a solution of chromate of potassa. The
liquid was evaporated; the residue calcined along with what was
left by the evaporation of the water, and the whole brought in
contact with dilute nitric acid. Nitrous gas was disengaged,
and the solution responded to reagents like the solutions of the salts
of lead. M. Paton infers, that the iodide of lead introduced into
the stomach is partly absorbed, and that it is this portion which
causes death,—the remainder passing into the intestines, and ad-
mitting of detection by the method described.
When given internally, in the dose of a quarter or half a grain,
Velpeau thought that it occasioned, in one instance, irritation in
the alimentary canal; but Dr. O'Shaughnessy thinks that this re-
sult must have been owing to idiosyncrasy, as ten grain doses
can be borne with perfect impunity. The experiments of Dr.
Cogswell* show, that it is by no means an active agent.
Owing to its not exciting cutaneous irritation—like iodine, and
the iodide of potassium—the iodide of lead has been applied ex-
ternally. Velpeauf treated three cases of enlarged glands with
very gratifying success, although the patients had used frictions
with other preparations of iodine ineffectually. Similar o-00d ef-
fects were observed by Guersent, Roots, and others.
Pilula Plumbi Iodidi.
Pills of Iodide of Lead.
R. Plumbi iodid. gr. iv.
Confect. rosae, 9j. M. et divide in pilulas xij.
Dose.—One night and morning, in scrofulous affections of the
glands, joints, &c. The dose may be gradually increased to three
or four pills, or more. j0Y+
* Essay on Iodine, p. 142. Edinb. 1837.
f Lugol, Essays on Iodine, &c, by O'Shaughnessy, p. 206.
X Tweedie's Library of Medicine, v. 320. Lond. 1840.
33
382 PLUMBI TANNAS.
Unguentum Plumbi Iodidi. (Pharm. Lond.)
Ointment of Iodide of Lead.
R. Plumbi iodid. 3j.
Adipis, 3viij. M.
Applied to scrofulous and other indolent swellings in the way
of friction.
PLUMBI TANNAS.
SyNoKymes.—Tannate of Lead.
French.—Tannate de Plomb.
German.—GerbstofFblei.
Autenrieth* has strongly recommended the tannate of lead in
cases of paratrimma ad decubitum, that is, of sores produced by
lying, and its advantages have been confirmed by others.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
The tannate is formed by precipitating an infusion of oak bark
by acetate of lead, according to the following formula.
R. Cortic. querc. gross, pulv. gj.
Coque cum
Aquae commun. Iviij.
Ad colatursegiv. Admisce acetum plumbicum quamdiu prseci-
patum inde oritur. Liquor filtretur per chartam bibulam. Praecipitatum
in charta reraanens ad consistentiam unguenti tenuioris exsicca.1
The ointment is used, spread upon lint, three times a day.
More recently, Dr. Tott has recommended the ointment in
» British Annals of Medicine, June 2', 1837; and Journ. de Chimie Medi-
cale, Mars, 1837. .......
+ " Take of oak bark, in coarse powder, an ounce ; boil in eight ounces ol
water until, when strained, four ounces remain: add acetate of lead as long
as any precipitate falls: filter the liquor through bibulous paper, and dry the
precipitate remaining on the paper to the consistence of a thin ointment."
POTASSA CHLORAS.
383
cases of decubitus gangrenosus, or sloughing sores produced by
lying.* In one case, in which it appeared to be inefficacious, he
took two drams of the dried precipitate, mixed it with an ounce
of unguentum rosatum, and applied this unguentum plumbico-tan-
nicum with success.
POTASSAE CHLORAS.
Synonymes.—Kali Chloricum, K. Chlorinicum, Chloras Kalicus Depuratus,
Chloras Potassicus, Alcali Vegetabile Salito-dephlogisticatum, Chloruretum
Potassae Oxidatum, Haloidum Oxygenatum, Murias Potassae Hyperoxygena-
tum seu Oxygenatum, Oxygeno-chloruretum Potassii, Kali oxymuriaticum,
, Kali muriaticum Hyperoxygenatum, Potassae Euchloras, Chlorate of Potassa,
Chlorate of Protoxide of Potassium, Oxymuriate of Potassa, Hyperoxymuri-
ate of Potassa.
French—Chlorate de Potasse.
German.—Chlorsaures Kali.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
In the chemical manufactories, the chlorate of potassa is pre-
pared by passing chlorine gas into a solution of carbonate of po-
tassa. In this way, chlorate of potassa is obtained mixed with
more or less muriate of potassa. The salt prepared in the labo-
raties, before it is adapted to medical use, should be purified by
recrystallisation. It is to be observed, that when the adequate
quantity of chlorine gas is not employed in the preparation, the re-
sulting compound is analogous to the chlorides of soda and lime,
and in action it agrees rather with those preparations than with
the true chlorate of potassa. This may tend to explain the dis-
crepancy in the experience of different physicians.
The chlorate of potassa crystallises in white leaves, having the
splendour of mother of pearl, or in four or six-sided tables, having
a specific gravity of 1.989. It is permanent in the air, and has a
cool, saline, disagreeable taste, similar to that of saltpetre. Six
parts are soluble, at the ordinary temperature, in 100 parts of wa-
ter. When exposed to heat, oxygen escapes, and chloride of so-
dium remains. When beaten forcibly in a mortar, it crackles,
emits light, and sparks. When rubbed lightly with inflammable
* Grafe und Walther's Journal der Chirurgie, B. xxiv. S. 676, Berlin, 1836;
and Gazette Medicale, Jan. 1837.
384
POTASS^ CHLORAS.
substances, or when struck, it inflames readily, and hence its well
known employment in the formation of matcbes.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
These have not been completely tested, in the opinion of some
at least.* L. W. Sachs, who has frequently administered it, is of
opinion, that in the chlorate of potassa tbe direct effect of the
alkali is rendered milder by the chloric acid, whilst the alkali
modifies that of the acid; in this manner, the caustic property of
the alkali is destroyed; whilst the liquifying or resolvent (fluidisi-
rende) property is moderated, but not removed. On the other
hand, by the union of the chloric acid with the alkali, the power-
ful excitant action on the nerves, which the former exerts, is
at the same time markedly moderated, although certainly not
destroyed; the mode in which it is exerted, he thinks, is probably
changed.
By such a union, a medicine has been supposed to be formed,
which acts chiefly on the nervous system, and which is capable
of mitigating and probably of removing any morbid erethism
therein, with the hypercesthesia thereby induced.
Such is the opinion of certain therapeutists. Others imagine,
that it is capable of purifying the mass of blood in consequence of
the chlorine which it contains; but a salt of chloric acid is not
possessed of the same properties as chlorine; and, accordingly,
when we have found occasion to administer it, we have never wit-
nessed any of the effects ascribed to it; nor have we seen any evi-
dence of the modus operandi on the nervous system mentioned
above, or of its imparting oxygen to the blood as supposed by
some.f
From its excitant properties, and under the notion that it may
act upon the blood, and through the blood on the functions of nu-
trition as an excellent alterative, the chlorate of potassa has been
recommended in chronic cutaneous diseases in general, as well as
in hepatic and syphilitic affections. It has also been occasionally
administered in cases of chronic asthenia.
KdhlerJ employed it in several casesof tubercular phthisis, and
although the general results of his experiments were unfavour-
able, he thinks it ought to be admitted into the number of those
remedies that are useful in phthisis, although its stimulating ac-
* Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimittel, S. 300, and 2te Auflage, S. 451. Stutt-
gart, 1840.
f See Stevens on the Blood, p. 296. London, 1832; and Pereira, Elements
of the Mat. Med. Pt. 1, 298. Lond. 1839.
J; Rust's Magazin, B. xlvi.
POTASS^ CHLORAS. 385
tion on the circulating and pulmonary systems cannot be denied.
Its use is contra-indicated where the fever runs high, and where
there is any sign of inflammation of the lungs, or tendency to hae-
moptysis.
Sachs, in accordance with the views before mentioned, in re-
gard to its antineuropathic properties, has advised it in cases of
prosopalgia. He affirms, that in a great many instances, it af-
forded essential relief. Chisholm appears to have been one of the
earliest to prescribe it in neuralgia faciei; and, after him, Her-
ber, and subsequently, B. Schaffer, Jos. Frank, Meyer, and
others, employed it both as a curative and palliative agent in that
disease.
Recently, it has been advised in obstinate rheumatism of the
nervous kind, by Knod von Helmenstreit; and Eyr has extolled
it in ulceration of the mouth after violent salivation.
Sachs administered it in the dose of from three to six grains,.
three or four times a day* but some give it in a much larger quan-
tity. It may be administered either in the form of powder or of
solution.
Solutio Potasse Chloratis.
Solution of Chlorate of Potassa.
Synonymes*—Solutio Muriatis Potassae Oxygenati, Liquor ad Ulcera
Atonica.
R. Potassae chlorat. 3j.
Aqua? destillat. 5xij. M.
To be applied to indolent ulcers, by means of lint dipped in itr
or of a camel's hair pencil, to excite the tissues.
SwEDIAUR.*
Potus Potasse Chloratis.
Drink of Chlorate of Potassa.
Synonymes.—Potus Oxygenatus. {French.—Tisane Oxygenee.>
R. Solut. potass, chlorat. ftjij.
Aquae, ffeiv. M.
Given internally, in cases of general asthenia.
Dose.—One or two pints a day. Sweduur.
* Pharm. Med. Pract., Bruxelles, 1817, 2d edit.
33*
386 POTASSII BROMIDUM.
Mistura Potasse Chloratis.
Mixture of Chlorate of Potassa.
R. Potassae chlorat. 3iss.
Aquae destill. simpl. §iv.
Solve.
Dose.—A spoonful e\jery two hours. Helmenstreit.
Eyr dissolves twenty-five grains of the chlorate of potassa in
four ounces of distilled water, and administers a spoonful three
imes a day.
R. Potass, chlorat. 3j.
Aquae destillat. ^iv.
Syrup althaea?, 5j. M.
Dose.—A table-spoonful four times a day. Koehlek.
POTASSII BROMIDUM.
Synonymes—Kalium Bromatum, Bromuretum Potassicum, B. Kalii,B. Potassii,
Bromide of Potassium. In Solution, Hydrobromate of Potassa, Potassas Hy-
drobromas, Kali Hydrobromicum, Bromhydras Potassae.
French.—Bromure de Potasse.
German.—Bromkalium, Kaliumbromid, Kaliumbromure, BromwasserstofFsau-
res oder Hydrobromsaures Kali.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
According to Liebig, this preparation can be readily made by
dissolving bromine in spirit of wine, and adding caustic alkali
until the spirit begins to change colour, then evaporating and
heating to redness. In the London Pharmacopceia, the bromide is
directed to be made by adding first an ounce of iron filings, and
afterwards two ounces of bromine to a pint and a half of distilled
water. The mixture is set aside for half an hour, and frequently
stirred with a spatula: a gentle heat is then applied, and when a
greenish colour is produced, two ounces and a dram of carbonate
of potassa, dissolved in a pint and a half of water, are poured in:
what remains is filtered and washed with two pints of boiling dis-
tilled water, and again filtered. The mixed solutions are then
evaporated, that crystals may form.
POTASSII BROMIDUM.
387
Liebig says it crystallises in four-sided shining tables; accord-
ing to Balard,* commonly in tubes, and at times in long rectan-
gular parallelopipedons. It has a pungent taste. By heat it cre-
pitates, and melts into a red hot flux, without experiencing change.
It is more soluble in hot than in cold water; producing, during its
solution, evident cold, and becoming converted into hydrobromate
of potassa. It is also soluble in alcohol^ilthough in small quan-
tity. The solution of hydrobromate of potassa dissolves no more
bromine than pure water.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
The bromide of potassium excites the same phenomena as bro-
mine, but with less intensity. From one dram and a half to 3ij is
needed to kill a dog. The animal appears to suffer; is restless,
and gradually falls into a state of prostration. In smaller doses, it
appears to act powerfully on the human stomach. The bromide,
like bromine, seems first to have been applied to therapeutical pur-
poses by Pourche.f Two cases of scrofulous tumours are reported
by him to have been removed by friction with an ointment com-
posed thereof, and a cataplasm sprinkled with an aqueous solution
of it. In a third patient, chronic otorrhea and scrofulous tumefac-
tion of the testicle yielded to the same agency, combined with the
internal use of bromine. A very large goitre was reduced two
thirds by it.
Pourche prescribed the bromide internally in the form of pill,
in the dose of four to eight grains in the day.
MagendieJ employed the preparations of bromine in scrofula,
in amenorrhea, and in hypertrophy of the ventricles of the heart.
Prieger recommended an ointment of the " Kali bromicum" in
inveterate porrigo favosa as well as in obstinate and malignant tet-
ter, and with good success; and Dr. Williams§ in cases of en-
larged spleen. The last gentleman suggests, that it possesses " un-
usual, if not specific powers in the cure of diseases of the spleen!"
It was owing to these results that the bromide was introduced into
the London Pharmacopceia, of 1836.|| Dr. Williams also gave
it with success in a case of ascites.
* Annales de Chimie, torn, xxxii.
t Journ. de Chimin Medicale, iv. 594; see, also, Bulletin General de The-
rapeutique, No. 14, Juillet, 30, 1837.
X Formulaire, Ed. cit.
5 Elements of Medicine, i. 338.
|| Pereira, Elements of Materia Medica, Pt. i. p. 287. Lond. 1839; and
Brande's Diet, of Mat. Med. p. 126. 1839.
388
POTASSII BROMIDUM.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
Solutio Potassii Bromidi.
Solution of Bromide of Potassium.
R. Potassii bromidi, gr. xviij.
Aquee lactuca? destillat. ^iij.
Syrup, althaea?, §j. M.
To be given in the course of the twenty-four hours; in table-
spoonfuls.
Magendie.
Unguentum Potassii Bromidi.
Ointment of Bromide of Potassium.
R. Adipis, I).
Kalii bromat. gr. xxxvj. M.
Half a dram to a dram to be rubbed on scrofulous swellings.
Magendie.
M. Pourche employs 3j of the bromide to the ounce of lard.
R. Axung. Ij.
Potassii bromid. gr. xxiv.
Bromini liquid, gr. vi ad xij. M.
Magendie.
POTASSII CYANIDUM.
Synonymes.—Potassii Cyanuretum, Cyanide or Cyanuret of Potassium.
French.—Cyanure de Potassium.
German.—Cyankalium.
This preparation was proposed by MM. Robiquet and Viller-
me,* as a substitute for the hydrocyanic acid. It is, in their
opinion, far more certain in its effects than that preparation.
* Bulletin de la Societe Medicale d'Emulation, Juillet, 1823. See, also,
Dr. James Hamilton and Mr. Thos. G. Mackenzie, in the Maryland Medical
and Surgical Journal, Apl. 1840. p. 201.
POTASSII CYANIDUM.
389
METHOD OF PREPARING.
The cyanide of potassium is formed whenever potassa is cal-
cined with an animal matter, as in the preparation of the Prussian
blue. It is commonly prepared, after the process of Robiquet, by
exposing to long continued heat the ferruginous prussiate of po-
tassa. The cyanide of iron is completely decomposed, and that
of the potassium remains. The residuum, after this strong cal-
cination, constitutes a solid, blackish mass, which consists whol-
ly of the cyanide of potassium, soiled by the iron and the char-
coal belonging to the cyanide of iron. The mass is dissolved in
water, when the iron and charcoal are deposited; whilst the cy-
anide of potassium dissolves, and is transformed into hydrocyan-
ate of potassa.
When the process has been well conducted, the solution is per-
fectly colourless, and retains no portion of iron. M. Chevallier*
considers this process to be impracticable, as the cyanide decom-
poses water on coming in contact with it. The result, therefore,
must be hydrocyanate of potassa; and, on heating this, all the
hydrocyanic acid escapes, and the residue is merely potassa. He
prepares the salt by calcining the ferro-hydrocyanate of potassa,
and then separating the cyanide from the quadricarburet of iron
by pure alcohol: on distilling this, the cyanide is obtained very
pure.
Dr. Hamilton and Mr. Mackenzie, of Baltimoref recommend
the following process as most convenient and simple. Expose,—
say four ounces of the dried ferrocyanide of potassium in a com-
mon Hessian crucible to a red heat, until nitrogen ceases to pass
over; (this generally takes from one and a half to two hours;)
then, breaking the crucible, powder the black mass quickly, and
add—say sixteen fluid ounces of alcohol, stirring the mixture re-
peatedly, until it acquires the temperature of about 150° Fahr.;
then filter, and evaporate by a sand or water bath regulated
so as to be below the boiling point of alcohol; for if heated above
this temperature, oil of wine is formed, which is gradually decom-
posed during the process, and carbon is deposited, which blackens
the mixture. The evaporation should be carried on so as to have
as great an extent of surface exposed as possible. The ferro-
cyanide will be found to have yielded six or seven drams of the
cyanide, which is dry, inodorous and perfectly white.
Pure cyanide of potassium is white and transparent; it may be
* Journ. de Chimie Medicale, and Journal of Phila. College of Pharmacy,
1832.
f Op. cit. p. 203.
390
POTASSII CYANIDUM.
fused in the fire without being decomposed, and keeps for an in-
definite period, provided it be kept dry. It is very soluble in
water, but sparingly so in alcohol. All acids decompose it, even
the carbonic: hence the solution, when exposed to the air, emits
the smell of hydrocyanic acid; and carbonate of potassa is formed,
in the place of the hydrocyanate of potassa.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
MM. Robiquet and Villerme performed some experiments on
animals in the presence of Magendie.* A tenth of a grain de-
stroyed a male linnet in a minute; less than a grain killed a
guinea pig in two or three minutes: a small drop of the hydro-
cyanate of potassa, containing only the hundredth part of a grain
of the cyanide in solution, caused a linnet to drop down dead in
half a minute. Half a dram containing five grains of the cya-
nide, killed a dog of large size in a quarter of an hour.
Magendie proposes, that the cyanide of potassium should be
dissolved in eight times its weight of distilled water, when it be-
comes transformed into hydrocyanate of potassa. To this solu-
tion, he gives the name medicinal hydrocyanate of potassa, and
advises that it should be given under the same circumstances,
and in the same doses, as the medicinal hydrocyanic acid, (see
page 16 & 25.) He farther suggests, that to render it wholly inde-
pendent of the action of the small portion of alkali contained in the
cyanide, a few drops of some vegetable acid may be added, or it
may be prescribed with an acid syrup.
The dose of the cyanide is a quarter of a grain at first, gradually
increased to a grain and more. M. Bally gave it to fifty-two in-
dividuals labouring under different diseases; it produced no effect
on thirty-five; and, on the others, the result was neither constant
nor salutary, so that he is not inclined to place more reliance
upon the cyanide than upon the hydrocyanic acid.
By Dr. Lombard,f of Geneva, it has been applied externally,
with success, in some cases of facial neuralgia. He uses it by
friction, in the form of watery solution, or of ointment, according
to circumstances. The watery solution is in the strength of from
one to four grains to the ounce of water; and the ointment is
composed of from two to four grains of the cyanide to an ounce
of lard. The aqueous solution, however, is considered by Dr.
Lombard to be the most prompt in its effects. Dr. Lombard re-
gards the cyanide to be contra-indicated, where the nervous af-
* Formulaire pour la Preparation &c. de plusieurs Nouveaux Medicament
&c.
t Gazette des Hopitaux, & Lond. Med. Gaz. Sept. 1831.
POTASSII CYANIDUM.
391
fection is complicated with inflammatory action. He has found
it, also, a useful remedy in chronic rheumatism. In sciatic neu-
ralgia, it was not successful! In white swelling, attended with
acute pains, poultices moistened with the solution, gave great re-
lief. Dr. Lombard, indeed, affirms, that the soothing properties
of the cyanide are superior to those of any remedy known. Lo-
tions of hydrocyanic acid are not to be compared with it,—the
acid being decomposed with facility, and not devoid of danger.
MM. Trousseau and Rullier* also recommend the cyanide, in
the proportion of four grains to an ounce of water, as a local ap-
plication in various forms of neuralgia.
M. Andralf employed the cyanide with complete success in a
case of most intense cephalalgia, which, for ten months, had re-
sisted the most powerful remedies, as bleeding, a seton in the neck,
blisters and sinapisms. It was employed in solution, in the pro-
portion of from six to eight grains to the ounce of distilled water;
and compresses, wet with the solution, were applied, for eight
days, to the forehead and temples.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
Mistura Potassii Cyanidi.
Mixture of Cyanide of Potassium or of Hydrocyanate of Potassa.
(Pectoral Mixture, of Magendie.)
R. Potass, hydrocyan. med. 3j.
Aquae destillat Oj.
Sacchar.purif. 5iss. M.
Dose.—About five drams (a table-spoonful) night and morning.
(Pectoral Potion.)
R. Potass, hydrocyan. med. gtt. xv.
Infus. hederi terrestr. 5ij.
Syrup, althaeae, 2j. M.
Dose.—Five grammes (a tea-spoonful) every three hours.
Magendie.
R. Potassi cyanid. gr. 3.
Aquae lactucae, 2ij.
Syrup, althaeae, 5j. M.
* Lond. Med. and Surg. Journ, Dec. 15,1832; and Amer. Journ. of the Med.
Sciences, May, 1833, p. 238.
f Gazette Medicale, Jan. 1832.
392 POTASSII IODIDUM.
Dose.~Five drams (a table-spoonful) every two hours.
Magendie.
Syrupus Potassii Cyanidi.
Syrup of Hydrocyanate of Potassa.
R. Potass, hydrocyanat. medic. 3j.
sy™pi> Ibj-
This syrup may be added to pectoral draughts, and may be sub-
stituted for other syrups.
Pilule Potassii Cyanidi.
Pills of Cyanide of Potassium.
R. Potassii cyanid.
Amyli, aa. gr. iv.
Syrup, q. s. ut fiat massa in pilulas viij divenda.
Dose.—A pill, night and morning, in convulsions, dyspnoea, &c.
Hospital of La Pitie.*
Lotio Potassii Cyanidi.
Lotion of Cyanide of Potassium.
R. Potass, cyanid. gr. xij.
Mist. Amygdal, ^vj. M.
To be used in lichen, and other chronic eruptions, attended
with much itching.
Louis.
POTASSII IODIDUM.
Synonymes.—Kalium lodatum, Iodidum Kalii, Kali Hydroiodinicum, K.
Hydroiodicum, Hydroiodas Kalicus, H. Lixivse, lodhydras Kalicus seu Po-
tassa}, Potassii loduretum, Iodide or loduret of Potassium. In solution—Po-
tassse Hydriodas, Potassii Proto-hydriodas, Potassii Protoxidi Hydriodas, Hy-
driodate of Potassa.
French.—Hydriodate de Potasse, Iodure de Potasse.
German.—Iodkalium, lodwasserstoffsaures Kali, Kalium Iodure, lodinwas-
serstoff Kali, Hydriodsaures Kali, Kali-hydroiodat.
method of preparing.
According to Tiinnermann, the iodide of potassium is best pre-
pared in the following manner:
* Ryan's Formulary, 3d edit. p. 392. Lond. 1839.
POTASSII IODIDUM.
393
One part of pure iron filings, with four parts of iodine, is put
into a glass vessel—by many, into a glass retort—and six or
eight parts of water are poured thereon; gentle warmth is then
applied, and the mixture is frequently shaken until the liquid ap-
pears clear and almost colourless. In this way, hydriodate of
protoxide of iron is formed, which is dissolved in the water. It
is now filtered; the residuum washed several times on the filter
with distilled water, and under the application of a moderate heat,
a concentrated solution of potassa is added, by small portions at
a time, until a precipitate is no longer thrown down. In this pro-
cess, the potassium separates the iodine from the hydriodic acid;
the oxygen of the former unites with the hydrogen of the
latter; protoxide of iron is precipitated, and carbonic acid given
off,—heat being required for its entire disengagement, to prevent
the formation of a carbonate of protoxide of iron with excess of
acid, which would be soluble in the water. It is then filtered, the
residue washed on the filter with distilled water, and the liquid
evaporated so as to form crystals.
Those chemists or pharmaciens, who are not very accurate in
their preparations, evaporate the mother waters to dryness, satis-
fying themselves, that although the saline residuum contains car-
bonated alkali, it may answer for external use; which is decidedly
objectionable. To prevent the loss of the iodide, owing to its
admixture with a carbonate of potassa, in the mother waters,
Tiinnermann finds it most advantageous to neutralise it with the
hydriodic acid, which may be prepared in the following manner:
Dissolve about one dram of iodine in not very strong spirit of
wine, and pass a stream of sulphuretted hydrogen into the solution,
■until it is wholly deprived of colour. The hydrogen unites with
the iodine,—the hydriodic acid, thus formed, remaining dissolved,
whilst the sulphur is precipitated. The liquor is then filtered, the
sulphur washed with a little water and the spirit and superfluous
sulphuretted hydrogen gas are driven off by heating it in a glass
vessel placed in a sand bath. The remaining fluid is diluted with
water, filtered, and a warm alkaline ley added, until litmus paper is
only feebly reddened. By evaporation the iodide of potassium
is obtained, which by repeated solution in water, evaporation of
the solution, and filtration, is obtained entirely pure.*
The process of Turner is, to take any quantity of the solution
of caustic potassa, and to add to it gradually, at a gentle heat,
iodine sufficient to neutralise the alkali; then evaporating to
dryness, calcining strongly, dissolving in water, and crystali-
sing.f
* Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimittel, S. 305. Stuttgart, 1837.
f See Dr. Bache, in Wood and Bache's Dispensatory of the United States,
4th edit. p. 1018, Philad. 1839.
34
394
POTASSII IODIDUM.
Dr. William Gregory* suggested an improvement on the pro-
cess of Turner, which has been regarded as one of the simplest.f
It consists in adding iodine to a hot solution of potassa until the
fluid assumes a yellowish brown colour, then evaporating, and
fieatino- the residuum to low redness, in a platinum crucible.
The mass, which at first consists of iodide of potassium and
iodate of potassa, thus loses all its oxygen, and becomes convert-
ed into iodide of potassium.
The formula of Caillot and Baup is—to take ten parts of iodine
and fifty of distilled water; put them into a matrass, and add, in
small successive portions, of pure iron filings, five parts, shaking
the vessel each time. The liquor is then heated until it loses its
colour, filtered, and the substance on the filter washed with boil-
ing water, until the liquid is tasteless; the liquor, and the various
liquids used in the washings, are united, and the whole is heated
in a sand bath. When the temperature approaches that of ebul-
lition, enough of a solution of subcarbonate of potassa is added, to
precipitate all the oxide of iron; it is then filtered, and the sub-
stance on the filter washed until it is completely exhausted. All
the liquors are then united, tested by reddened litmus paper, and
if there be any excess of base, a little hydriodic acid is added. It
is then evaporated in a sand bath, until a slight pellicle forms; the
fire is now discontinued, and the salt is suffered to crystallise.
Lastly, the crystals are washed with a little water, and dried.J
The iodide of potassium crystallises in beautiful cubes. These
are readily fused, and are volatilised at a red heat. They do not
decompose, even when heated with access of air. They are readily
soluble in water, and in alcohol, and the addition of the iodide
facilitates greatly the solution of the iodine.
It would seem, that a slight contamination of iodide of potas-
sium with carbonate of potassa is exceedingly common, as it can
with difficulty be avoided in the manufacture of the salt; but Dr.
Christison§ affirms, that he has examined specimens, where the
carbonate, with its accompanying water, amounted, to 90 parts in
the 100. " Can we wonder, then," he asks," that practitioners should
complain of the iodide of potassium, that they have given it for
months, nay, even for years, without observing any effect either
on the constitution, or on the disease for which it was adminis-
tered?"
• Edinb. Med. and Surg. Journ., xxxvi. 369, for Oct. 1831.
f Cogswell, on Iodine, p. 85.
t Jourdan's Pharmacopee Universelle, i. 662. Paris, 1828; also the Lond.
Pharmacopoeia, and Brande's Dictionary of Materia Medica, p. 317. Lond.
1839.
J Edinb. Med. and Surg. Journal, April, 1838.
POTASSII IODIDUM.
395
EFFECTS on the economy.
As respects the action of the iodide, and its administration in
disease, it is scarcely necessary to do more than refer to what has
been said under the head of iodine. On the whole, its effects ap-
pear to accord with those of iodine; at least, no difference is per-
ceptible on the organism. It has been supposed, that it is to be
preferred to pure iodine, where the object is to act especially on
the urinary organs.* For external use, the iodide of potassium
is usually preferred to pure iodine. It is constantly given inter-
nally, and often in combination with the latter; the solubility of
which, as was before remarked, is aided by it. Many of the fol-
lowing formulas contain both one and the other.
Dr. Buchanan asserts, that he has given the iodide of potassium
in doses of Jss, and the only precaution he observed was to make
the patient drink freely of diluents. It was chiefly to determine
some physiological questions that he gave it in such large doses.
Two drams of it were taken by a young man affected with gonor-
rhoea, and as soon as the medicine made its appearance in the
urine, blood was drawn from the arm. On examining the blood,
both the serum and crassamentum were found deeply impregna-
ted with iodine.f On the other hand, Dr. Lawrie, of Glasgow,J
considers it very uncertain and at times dangerous, although he
esteems it by far the best of the recent remedies, and prescribes it
more frequently than any other medicine, and Mr. Mayo§ affirms,
that no medicine, where it does good, produces amendment, in
constitutional syphilis, so speedily as it. Lugol appears to have
used it mainly as a solvent to iodine and considers it inferior to
the latter as*a therapeutical agent; but no chemical or other
prepossession can set aside the testimony just cited; or that of
such observers as Eicord,|| C. J. B. Williams,! Joy and numerous
others. In our own hands, it has appeared to afford as much bene-
fit as any of the preparations of Iodine. (See the article Iodine,
page 395.)
A case of salivation from the use of iodide of potassium has
been recently published by Sir Francis W. Smith.**
* Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimittel, u. s. vv. S. 306. See, also, Cogswell on
. Iodine, p. 96.
f London Med. Gaz. July 2, 1836.
t Lond. Med. Gaz. July 3, 1840, p. 591.
\ A Treatise on Syphilis, by Herbert Mayo, F. R. S. Lond. 1840.
|| Parker, Modern Treatment, of Syphilitic Diseases, Dunglison's Amer.
Med'. Lib. Edit. p. 77, Philad. 1840., and Bulletin Generale de Therap. Juillet,
IT Lectures on the Physiology and Diseases of the Chest, Bell's Med. Library
Edit. p. 246. Philadelphia, 1839.
** Dublin Journal of Medical Science, July, 1840.
396 POTASSII IODIDUM.
According to recent experiments of Magendie,* the iodide is
one of the substances that promote the coagulation of the blood.
METHOD OF ADMINISTERING.
Liquor vel Solutio Potassii Iodidi.
Solution of Iodide of "Potassium.
Synonymes.—Potio resolvens ex Iodio, Solution de Coindet, Coindet's So-
lution.
R. Potassii iodidi, gr. xxxvj.
Aquae destillat. %). Solve.
Dose___Same as that of the tincture of Iodine.
Coindet and Magendie.
R. Potassii iodidi, 3j-
Aquae destillat. Ij. Solve.
Dose.—Fifteen drops three times a day, gradually increased to
forty-five : in cases of ovarian dropsy,—frictions with iodine oint-
ment being used at the same time. Elliotson.
Liquor vel Solutio Potassii Iodidi Iodureta.
Solution of Ioduretted Hydriodate of Potassa.
R. Iodin. 9j.
Potassii iodid. £)ij.
Aq. destillat. 5 vjj .t Solve.
Dose.—Six drops early in the morning, and in the middle of the
day, in a glass of sugared water. In tetter, scirrhus, &c.
Lugol.
Lugol has a solution of three strengths for internal use.
I. II. III.
R. Iodin. gr. ? gr. i. gr. 1|.
Potass, iodid. gr. iss. gr. ii. gr. iiss.
Aq. desillat. ?vbj- 1VUJ- 3vnJ#
Dose.—Two thirds, daily, at first; afterwards, the whole.
* Legons sur le Sang; & translation in Lancet, for Jan. 26,1839, p. 636.
f Dr. Bache (Dispensatory of the United States, 4th Edit. p. 374,) remarks,
that " in the original it is seven ounces, but from the context of the author, this
is evidently a misprint for seven drachms." It is proper, however, to observe,
that many of the successful cases were treated by the weaker solution.
POTASSII IODIDUM.
397
Lugol recommends this threefold solution in the same cases as
his threefold solution of iodine; the first being continued from
fourteen days to three weeks; the second, from the fourth or fifth
week of the treatment to its termination ; the third, the strongest,
he did not often use. As Riecke has observed, it would be better
to have in the hospitals but one solution, which might be prescribed
in varied doses.
Liquor Potassii Iodidi Compositus.—(Lond. Pharmacopoeia.)
Compound Solution of Iodide of Potassium.
R. Iodin. gr. v.
Potass, iodid. gr. x.
Aquae destillat. ^xx. M.
Dose.—f. 3ij to f. 5yj.
Tinctura Iodini Composita.—(Lond. Pharmacopoeia.)
Compound Tincture of Iodine.
R. Iodin. 5j.
Potass, iodid. 5ij.
Sp. rectif. Oij. M.
Dose.—Ten minims.
Mistura Potassii Iodidi Iodureta.
Mixture of Ioduretted Hydriodate of Potassa.
R. Iodin. gr. ss.
Potass, iodid. 3ss.
Syrup, papav. izss,
Aq. destillat. ftjss.
Dose.—'Two table-spoonfuls three times a day; in cases of
complication of syphilis with scrofula. Tyrrel.
R. Iodin. gr. iss.
Potassii iodid. gr. iij.
Solve in
Aquae menth. pip. 5iv.
Dose.—A spoonful two or three times a day. To children, a
tea-spoonful. In cases of cancrum oris; also, in dropsy, gleet,
34*
398
POTASSII IODIDUM.
and leucorrhcea. On renewing the prescription, the dose of the
iodine may be increased one half, and of the iodide one grain,
each time. Coster and Friedrich.
R, Potass, iodid. 3iv.
Aquae lactucae destill. ^viij.
----menth. pip. 3\j-
Syrup, althaeae, ^j. M.
Dose.—A spoonful morning and evening, in a little water, in-
creasing the dose to two spoonfuls. In cases of hypertrophy of
the ventricles of the heart. Magendie.
R. Potass, iodid. 5iv.
Aq. lactuc. destill. |viij.
----flor. napth. 3ij-
Tinct. digit. 5j. ad 3ij.
Syr. althaeae, ^iss. M.
Dose.—Morning and evening, a spoonful, in a little water. In
hypertrophy of the ventricles of the heart, with quickening of the
heart's action. Magendie.
R. Lign. quassiae.
Rad. gentian, aa. 3J-
Aquae fervent. 5xvj.
Macera per horam et cola.
Liquor, colat. add.
Potass, iodid. gr. xxxvj.
Potassae carbonat. 3ij- M.
Dose.—A table-spoonful three times a day, in a glass of water.
CuMMING.
Pilule Potassii Iodidi.
Pills of Iodide of Potassium.
R. Potass, iodid. gr. xv.
Aq. destillat. q. s.
Pulv. spong. ust.
Ext. dulcamar. aa. 31J
Pulv. rad. glycyrr. q. s.
Fiant pilulae clxxx.
]f)ose.—Six, two or three times a day, in scrofula, goitre, &c.
Vogt.
POTASSII IODIDUM. - 399
Unguentum Iodini Compositum.—(Pharm. Lond.)
Compound Ointment of Iodine.—Ioduretted Ointment.
R. Iodin. 3ss.
Potass, iodid. 3j.
Spirit, rectif. f. 3j.
Adipis. Iij.
Rub the iodine and iodide with the spirit; and mix with the lard.
Unguentum Potassii Iodidi.
Ointment of Iodide of Potassium.
R. Potass, iodid. 3ss.
Adipis, liss. M.
Half a dram at first, and subsequently, a whole dram to be
rubbed in. In goitre, scrofulous glandular affections, &c.
This ointment is generally too weak, unless combined with
the internal use of iodine in some form. Magendie.
R. Potass, iodid. J)j.
Adipis. gss. M.
The wounded parts to be smeared with it two or three times
a day: in moist tetter—serpigo. Between the applications, to be
dressed with dry lint. Tuennermann.
In dry tetter, the ointment applied is formed of 3J to 3iss of
the iodide to ^j of lard.
Unguentum Potassii Iodidi.
(Unguentum Kali Hydroiodici. Pharmacop. Borussic.)
Ointment of Hydriodic Kali.
R. Potass, iodid. 3j.
Magnis. carb. gr. vj.
Aq. destillat. guttas nonnullas,
M. terendo cum,
Ung. rosat. 3j. M.
Or,
R. Potass, iodid.
Sodae carbon, depur. sice. aa. gss.
Ung. rosat. spv ad gvj. M.
A piece of the size of a small bean to be rubbed in, morning
and evening. In chronic enlargement of the testis. Walther.
POTASSII IODIDUM.
R. Potass, iodid. 3ss.
Ext. opii. 9ss.
Cerat. ^j. M.
As a dressing to malignant cancerous ulcers.
Unguentum Potassii Iodidi loduretum.
Ointment of Ioduretted Iodide of potassium.
R. Iodin. gr. xij.
Potass, iodid. 9iv.
Adipis, §ij. M.
In scrofulous ophthalmia, ulcers, &c, Lugol.
R. Iodin. gr. xv.
Potass, iodid. 3j.
Tinct. opii. gij.
Adipis, gij. M.
In painful scrofulous ulcers, white swellings, &c. Lugol.
Emplastrum Potassii Iodidi loduretum.
Plaster of Ioduretted Iodide of potassium.
R. Iodin.
Potass, iodid. aa. 9ss. ad Bj.
Emplastr. hydrarg.
sen Saponis. ^ij.
Applied in syphilitic and gouty swellings of the bones.
Ebers.
Lotio Potassii Iodidi Iodureta.
Lotion of Ioduretted Hydriodate of Potassa.
R. Iodin. gr. i. ad ij.
Potassii iodid. gr. ij. ad iv.
Solve in
Aquae destillat. gviij.
This solution was commonly used by Lugol externally, to be
injected under the eyelids in strumous ophthalmia, fistulae, &c.
Lugol.
R. Iodin. §ss.
Potassii iodidi. ^j.
Solve in
Aq. destillat. §vj.
This " rubefacient solution of iodine," may be used two or
three times a week, when the last prescription loses its effect, or
when it is desirable to stimulate more actively. It is also added
POTASSII IODO-HYDRARGYRAS.
401
to baths—three or four ounces to any ordinary bath—as well as
to poultices, being mixed with an ordinary cataplasm. Lugol.
R. Iodin. 3j.
Potass, iodid. gij.
Solve in
Aquae destillat. ^ij.
This "caustic iodine solution" has to be used when the last
loses its efficacy. It occasions a crust on the parts. Lugol
employs it chiefly when the skin on the edges of the ulcers is
greatly hypertrophied, red, and fungous, as well as in phagedenic
or spreading tetters. It may be applied two or three times a
week, or daily, should the case require it. Lugol.
Collyrium Potassii Iodidi loduretum.
Collyrium of Ioduretted Hydriodate of Potassa.
R. Iodin. gr. ss. ad i.
Potassii iodid. Qss.
Solve in
Aq. rosar. giij. M.
To be applied four times a day, in cases of scrofulous ophthal-
mia, with ulceration of the conjuctiva and cornea. Magendie.
POTASSII IODO-HYDRARGYRAS.
Synonymes.—Kali lodatum Hydrargyratum, Iodo-Hydrargyrate of Potassium.
Iodhydrargyrate of loduret of Potassium.
Dr. A. Channing,* who has highly extolled this preparation in
various diseases, affirms, that this, with other new salts, was dis-
covered by Bonsdorf, of the University of Finland, in 1826; and
it is a fact well known to the chemist, that iodine, chlorine, &c.
enter into combinations so as to form both acids and bases.
By experiment, Dr. Channing ascertained, that a solution of
eight grains of the pure iodide of potassium in ten or fifteen
minims of water, would combine with a fraction less than eleven
* American Journal of the Medical Sciences, Feb. 1834, p. 388.
402
POTASSII IODO-HYDRARGYRAS.
grains of the deuto-iodide of mercury, maintaining the combina-
tion in solution; when diluted with water or alcohol to any ex-
tent. If more than eleven grains of the deuto-iodide be added,
although a small excess is dissolved in the concentrated solution,
on diluting with water, it is promptly precipitated. It would ap-
pear, therefore, as Dr. Channing has remarked, that in preparing
this salt for administration, the labour of crystallising it, in order
to obtain a solution of a definite strength, is wholly unnecessary;
inasmuch as a solution, combining a fraction more than eight
grains of the iodide of potassium with eleven grains of the iodide
of mercury may be used as containing twenty grains of the iodo-
hydrargyrate of potassium.
If it be desirable to obtain the preparation in a crystallised
form, it is important, that the definite proportions of the two
iodides be observed, and particularly that there be no excess of
the iodide of mercury; for the saturated solution of eight grains
of the iodide of potassium will dissolve, and enter into combina-
tion with more than thirteen grains of the iodide of mercury.
forming similar crystals soluble in alcohol, but in water precipi-
tating more than two grains of the iodide of mercury.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
These are similar to those of the iodides of mercury, but, ac-
cording to Dr. Channing, in a less degree. The iodo-hydrargy-
rate is not, however, much employed, experience seeming to have
shown, that it possesses no essential, if, indeed, any advantages
over those preparations.
It has been recently highly extolled by Dr. Charles C. Hildreth,*
of Zanesville, Ohio, in several diseases, in which a combination of
iodine and mercury might be expected to be beneficial. In ordi-
nary dyspepsia, his faith in its remedial powers is so strong, that
he has prescribed but little else for the last four or five years. He
speaks highly of it also in enlargement of the spleen, amenorrhea,
dysmenorrhea, leucorrhea, dropsy, and glandular enlargements of
a scrofulous- character. In these last cases, he combines the inter-
nal use with the external, according to the form of ointment
given below.
Puchef has recommended it as not being so subject to produce
salivation, or pains in the bones, as the other combinations of
mercury and iodine.
* American Journal of the Medical Sciences, Aug. 1840, p. 314.
f Journal des Connaissances des Medicales, Oct. et Nov. 1838, and Janvier,
1839, and Annales de Chimie, Oct. 1838.
POTASSII IODO-HYDRARGYRAS.
403
METHOD OF ADMINISTERING.
Mistura Potassii Iodo-Hydrargyratis.
Mixture of lodo-Hydrargyrate of Potassium.
R. Hydrarg. deuto-iodid. gr. iv.
Potassii iodid. 9j.
Aquae destillat. ij. M.
Dose.—Five drops three times a day. Channing.
Tinctura Potassii Iodo-Hydrargyratis.
Tincture of lodo-Hydrargyrate of Potassium.
R. Potass, iodo-hydrarg. gr. j.
Spiritus vini tenuioris %]. M.
Dose.—Ten drops three times a day. Channing.
Pilula Iodo-Hydrargyratis Iodureti Potassii.
Pills of lod-Hydrargyrate of loduret of Potassium.
R. Hydrarg. biniodid. gr. viij.
Potassii ioduret. gr. viij.
Sacchar. lact. gr. lxiv.
Aquae gum. q. s. ut fiant pilulae xxxij.
Dose.—One to eight, daily. Puche.
Solutio Iodo-Hydrargyratis Iodureti Potassii.
Solution of lod-Hydrargyrate of loduret of Potassium.
R. Hydrarg. biniodid. gr. viij.
Potassii ioduret. gr. viij.
Aquae destillat. 5viij. M.
Dose.—f. 3ij to f. gij in twenty-four hours. Puche.
Unguentum Potassii Iodo-Hydrargyratis.
Ointment of lodo-Hydrargyrate of Potassium
R. Hydrarg. deuto-iodid. gr. vij.
Potass, iodid. 9ij.
Adipis----^j. M.
404
QUININA.
To be applied to tumours two or three times a day. Should
it prove too irritating, the proportion of lard must be increased.
Hildreth.
QUININA.
Synonymes.—Chininum, Chininium, Chinium, Quininum, Quinium, Quinia,
Kininum, Quina, Sal Essentiale Corticis Peruviani.
French.—Quinine, Kinine.
German.—Chinin, Quinin, Chinastoff.
Quinine is a most important gift from modern analytical
chemistry to medicine. Not many years have elapsed since
the discovery of this substance, and yet, by general consent,
it is now regarded as one of the most valuable remedies in
the catalogues of the materia medica. The honour of the disco-
very—which had been facilitated by the investigations of other
chemists, as to the composition of the cinchona barks—belongs
to Pelletier and Caventou, (1820,*) and so rapidly and extensively
was its efficacy promulgated, that in the year 1826, in two labo-
ratories in Paris for the preparation of quinine, fifty-nine thou-
sand ounces of the sulphate—the form best known, and most fre-
quently prescribed—were prepared. For this discovery, the Royal
Academy of Sciences of Paris awarded MM. Pelletier and Ca-
ventou the Monthyon prize of ten thousand francs.
Quinine is obtained from the yellow bark by a similar process
to the one described for the separation of the cinchonine.f In
the pure state, it is of a white colour, and appears commonly in
'the form of powder; it crystallises, however, in silky, shining,
tufted needles. In both cases, it contains from three to four per
cent, of water. By a gentle heat, this escapes, and the quinine
melts into a transparent fluid, which, on cooling, is translucent,
and similar to a resin. When melted in vacuo, it has a crystal-
line appearance. In a strong heat, it is decomposed. It has a
very bitter taste, and is soluble in two hundred parts of boiling
water; a portion being precipitated on cooling. It requires a
much larger proportion of cold water to dissolve it. In alcohol,
it is far more soluble than in water. It is, likewise, soluble in
ether, and somewhat'so in oils. It exhibits an alkaline reaction,—
* Annalee de Chimie et de Physique, xv.289 &337.
t See page 147.
QUININA.
405
restoring the colour of reddened litmus paper, and neutralising
the acids.
The observations of Piorry and Lavollee* and of Quevenne,f
show, that the quinine, as well as its sulphate, passes into the
urine of patients who use it in any considerable quantity.
effects on the economy.
Of the effects of quinine we shall speak at some length, under
the head of sulphate of quinine, with which it seems to accord
entirely in medicinal agency. Several physicians, who have ex-
perimented in regard to the efficacy of pure quinine and its salts,
have found the first in no respect inferior to the last. Such was
the experience of Niewenhuis and Elliotson, the latter of whom
exhibited the quinine in large doses—as much as five grains every
four hours. A French physician, Blegnie,J even gives the prefer-
ence to the pure quinine—because it possesses, he thinks, equal
efficacy, is cheaper, easier taken, and better borne than the sul-
phate. He advises, that after each dose an acidulous drink should
be taken, to render its solution in the stomach more rapid. Wutzer§
and Harles|| have also recommended the more frequent use of pure
quinine.
It may be given either in the form of powder or pill, or in al-
coholic solution.
Tinctura Quinina.
Tincture of Quinine.
R. Quinin. 9j.
Solve in alcohol, iss.
Dose.—Twenty to forty drops every two hours.
Wutzer.
* Gazetto Medicale, 1836, p. 73.
t L'Experience, Juillet, 1838.
X Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimittel, S. 118. See, also, Bally, in Magendie's
Journal de Physiolo Quinicus, Chlorhydras qui-
nicus.
French.—Muriate de Quinine.
German.—Salzsaures Chinin, Hydrochlorsaures Chinin.
Perhaps, next to the sulphate of quinine, this salt has most fre-
quently been employed in practice.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
It is obtained by dissolving pure quinine in dilute muriatic acid,
or by the decomposition of the sulphate of quinine dissolved in
warm water by means of a solution of muriate of baryta, which
is added so long as a white precipitate is thrown down; the hot
mixture is then filtered; the precipitate washed, and the clear fluid
evaporated, by a gentle heat, to crystallisation, so long as crystals
shoot on cooling; these are collected, washed in cold water, and
purified by repeated crystallisation.
It forms fine, needle-shaped, white silky crystals, of a mother
of pearl lustre; does not dissolve readily in water, but more so than
the sulphate.
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
In this respect, the muriate agrees with the sulphate of quinine,
and by those of weak digestive' powers is better borne. Spielman*
asserts, that it is a more speedy and effectual remedy for inter-
mittent fever than the sulphate, and it is more soluble. It is, how-
ever, more expensive. The dose is generally considered to be
the same as that of the sulphate. It is better given in solution
than in powder. Spielman rates the dose at from half a grain to
a grain.
* Allgemein. medicinisch. Zeitung, and Journal des Connais. Medic.
Fevrier, 183G; see, also, Prof. Dierbach, in Heidelb. klinisch. Annal. B. x. H.
i. S. 33. Heidelb. 1834.
35*
110 QUININE NITRAS.--QUININE PHOSPHAS.
V. QUININtE NITRAS.
Synonymes.—Chinium seu Chininum Nitricum, Nitras Chinii, &c. Nitrate
of Quinine.
French.—Nitrate de Quinine.
German.—Saltpetresaures Chinin.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
This salt is obtained, like the muriate, by the addition of nitric
acid to quinine; or by the decomposition of nitrate of baryta by
sulphate of quinine.
It is, at first, a fluid oil-like mass, which gradually becomes
solid. In union with water, it forms crystals. It dissolves with
difficulty in water, but readily in alcohol.
VI. QUININE PHOSPHAS.
Stnontmes.—Chinium seu Chininum Phosphoricum, Phosphas Chinii, Ph.
Chinini, Phosphate of Quinine.
French.—Phosphate de Quinine.
German.—Phosphorsaures Chinin.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
In the mode of preparation it accords with the preceding forms;
dilute phosphoric acid being added to quinine, or phosphate of ba-
ryta to the sulphate of quinine.*
It appears in the form of needle-shaped prisms, of a mother of
pearl lustre, which are, like the muriate of quinine, readily so-
luble in water, and spirit of wine. Harles,f however, affirms,
that in the neutral condition it dissolves, with difficulty, in water.
The phosphate is regarded by some to stand next to the sul-
phate in medicinal efficacy.
* Winkler, in Buchnpr's Repert. and Phila. Journ. of Pharmacy, new series'
vol. 2, p. !2. Phila. 1837.
t Heidelb. klinisch. Annal. B. x. H. i. S. 36. Heidelb. 1834; and Journal
de Chimie Medicale, 1837.
QUININE SULPHAS.
411
VII. QUININE SULPHAS.
Synontmes.—Chinium seu Chininum Sulphuricum, Disuiphas Quina?, Sul-
phas Chinii, Sulphas Quinicus, Sulphate of Quinine.
French.—Sulfate de Quinine.
German.—Schwfelsaures Chinin, Chininsulphat.
This preparation of quinine is by far the most frequently admi-
nistered. It is in fine, silky, flexible needles, and at times, in rect-
angular columns. Its taste is extremely bitter and resembles that
of yellow bark. Exposed to a moderate heat, it loses its crystalline
form, in consequence of the escape of its water of crystallisation.
It is only slightly soluble in cold water, requiring 470 parts of
water at the ordinary temperature, and 30 parts of boiling water
for its solution. In alcohol, it is very soluble, but only slightly so
in ether. With sulphuric acid, it forms a supersulphate, which
is much more soluble in water than the neutral salt, and hence we
usually add a few drops of dilute sulphuric acid to our mixtures
of the sulphate of quinine.
METHOD OF PREPARING.
This salt is generally prepared on a large scale in the chemical
laboratories of France; whence we obtain it. A formula has been
admitted, however, into the Pharmacopceia of the United States,
which is taken from the process of M. Henry, Junr.,* for which
he received a prize from the Academie Royale des Sciences, of
Paris. It is as fellows—Take of yellow bark, in powder, a
pound; lime, in powder, four ounces; sulphuric acid, alcohol,
animal charcoal, distilled water, each a sufficient quantity. Boil
the bark for half an hour with eight pints of the distilled water,
acidulated wTith a fluid ounce of the sulphuric acid. Strain the
decoction through linen; then boil the residue with the same
quantity of acidulated water, and filter as before. Mix the fil-
tered liquors, and gradually add the lime, stirring constantly.
Wash the precipitate with distilled water, and having dried it
digest in alcohol with a moderate heat. Pour off the tincture,
and repeat the digestion several times, till the alcohol is no longer
rendered bitter. Mix the tincture, and distil over the alcohol, till
a brown viscid liquid remains in the retort. Upon this sub-
stance, removed from the retort, pour as much sulphuric acid,
largely diluted with water, as may be sufficient for its perfect
saturation. Then add the animal charcoal, and having evapo-
* Journal de Pharmacie, vii. 296. Juillet, 1821.
412
QUININE SULPHAS.
rated the liquor, sufficiently, filter it while hot, and set it aside to
crystallise.*
It results from the calculations of Pelletier and Caventou, that
from a quintal of cinchona, two pounds, one dram and thirty
grains of sulphate of quinine may be obtained, which makes two
drams, sixty-six grains and a sixth per pound, or thirteen grains
and two sixths per ounce; and as the sulphate of quinine is com-
posed of nine parts and nine tenths of sulphuric acid, to ninety and
a tenth of quinine, it follows that if the dose of cinchona in sub-
stance be two drams, we should administer to the patient three
grains and nine thirty secondths of a grain of the sulphate of qui-
nine ; not taking into account a small quantity of sulphate of cin-
chonine, which may be mixed with it. Four grains of the salt
are, consequently, more than an equivalent for the dose of the cin-
chona often prescribed in substance. Those practitioners, there-
fore, who prescribe thirty-six or seventy-two grains of the sul-
phate, give the representative of about twenty-seven drams of
cinchona in the former case, and of fifty-four in the latter.j
The quinine is liable to be adulterated,—for example, by man-
nite, which is similar in external appearance, but—as elsewhere
shown—destitute of all the properties of the quinine. The adul-
teration can be readily detected by means of pure alcohol, which
dissolves the quinine alone, but leaves the mannite untouched,
which is freely soluble in water, and is known by its characteris-
tic sweet taste. It is also adulterated with gypsum, the presence
of which may likewise be detected by the alcohol, which does not
dissolve it.J
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
The effects of the preparations of quinine on the healthy organ-
ism, have not been much investigated. According to Caventou,
they produce a general excitement, similar to that caused by
coffee, and Wittmann affirms, that the sulphate induces an ex-
citement similar to that of a paroxysm of fever. Hirschel,§ too,
asserts, that in a child, four years of age, to whom the sulphate
was given in a case of intermittent, a general chilliness of some
minutes' duration supervened immediately on the taking of the re-
medy, succeeded, in the course of half an hour, by general heat,
and this again by a gentle perspiration, in all respects resembling
a mild attack of fever.
The excitant action of the salts of quinine formed by the vege-
table acids is said to beless striking.
* Wood & Bache's Dispensatory, Art. Quinise Sulphas.
f Jourdan's Pharmacopee Universelle, ii. 375. Paris, 1828.
X Vallet and Dubail, Journal de Pharmacie, Janvier, 1840.
\ Hufeland's Journal, B. lxi. St. 6. S. 140.
QUININE SULPHAS.
413
The sulphate of quinine, in large doses, appears, in some cases,
to possess narcotic properties, yet it cannot be classed amongst
poisons, as it has been given to healthy individuals in very large
doses, without any unpleasant effects. Bally,* for instance, gave
it to the extent of 110 grains in the day without any inconveni-
ence.
Dr. Thomas Fearn,f who administered it largely, regards it to
be more narcotic than sedative,—usually, he thinks, stimulating in
small doses, but in large doses the stimulant effects not being ob-
vious, but rather the reverse.
When Mr. Scott,J a medical gentleman and a martyr to dys-
pepsia, took the quinine in very large doses, under the idea that
his malady was intermittent neuralgia, he found several singular
phenomena induced thereby. He was directed to commence with
two grains three times a day, until he arrived at twenty grains for
a dose, that is, a dram a day. Until the doses were increased to
fourteen or sixteen grains, be did not experience any peculiar ef-
fects, but he now began to feel heat of skin, dryness of mouth and
fauces, and obstinate constipation. He likewise lost the power of
naming substantives; was obliged for a long while to consider
what familiar things were called, and was unable to cast up a line
of six or eight figures correctly. His perceptions of quantity were
likewise impaired, so that in prescriptions he wrote ounces for
drams, drams for grains, &c. &c. He still, however, persevered,
with the quinine until he took 9j four times a day, but he was un-
able to continue these excessive doses long, the untoward symp-
toms augmenting, so that he was often unable to stand, and fell
several times in the street.
Very similar results to those observed by Mr. Scott, and espe-
cially as regards the inability of utterance—which, in their cases,
was complete—are recorded by M. Menage,§ and Mr. G. O.
Heming.||
Two cases of deafness caused by large doses of quinine have
been lately detailed by Dr. Joseph Williams, of London,1[ and
another by Mr. C. R. Bree,** of Stow-market, England.
In impressible individuals, the sulphate and the muriate not un-
frequently induce a sense of anxiety, restlessness, vertigo, confu-
sion, depravation of vision, tinnitus aurium, and, in many cases,
transient deafness, all which symptoms appear to be of a neuro-
* Revue Medicale, v. 244. Juillet, 1821.
f Transylvania Journal of Medicine, Oct., Nov , and Dec. 1836, p. 798, and
Dung-lison's Amer. Med. Intell., June 15, 1837, p. 109.
X Lond. Mod. ?md Physical Journal, March, 1833.
\ Gazette Medical de Paris, April 25, 1840.
|| London Lancet, and Med. Examiner, July 18, 1840, p. 468.
IT London Lancet, July 25,1840, p. 639.
** Ibid. Aug. 22, 1840, p. 786.
414
QUININE SULPHAS.
pathic character, and, it has been affirmed, occur more frequently
in females, especially in those who are pregnant or suckling—
and in persons of slender and delicate confirmation.* In certain
cases, the quinine and its salts seem to have caused ptyalism—
the saliva being inodorous, and the teeth firm; and when calomel,
has been given along with it, it has been conceived that ptyalism
has ensued sooner than it otherwise might have done.
The most striking agency of quinine and its salts, is in cases of
periodical diseases of all kinds; and especially in intermittent
fever: they have now, indeed almost wholly taken the place of the
cinchona, over which they possess many points of preference. In
the first place, their bulk is much less; they therefore do not op-
press the stomach so much, whilst the impression of the cinchona
on that organ not unfrequently interferes with its antipyretic pro-
perties. In malignant fevers, too, it is often impossible to intro-
duce the requisite quantity of cinchona, into the organism, to pre-
vent the succeeding paroxysm, and the life of the patient is conse-
quently placed in the greatest danger. In this case, the sulphate
of quinine is invaluable ; possessing as it does, the febrifuge vir-
tues of the cinchona in such a concentrated state, that but a small
quantity is required to produce equal efficacy with a large quan-
tity of the powdered cinchona. In such cases, indeed, the latter
is apt to disagree with, or be rejected by the stomach, before its
full influence can be exerted. In these pernicious fevers, that oc-
cur especially in Italy and Holland, the sulphate of quinine has
supported life in innumerable cases where the cinchona, in sub-
stance, might have failed, and has thereby best exhibited its sana-
tive agency.f In these cases the quinine is administered without
regard to complications, which, in less urgent cases, might be al-
lowed to interfere with its administration. Another advantage,
ascribed to the quinine, is that in cases of paroxysmal fevers, in
which the attacks follow each other so closely, that the second
commences before the first has terminated, it may be given during
the paroxysm, a time at which the cinchona would be apt to oc-
casion oppression of the stomach and vomiting. It has likewise
been found advantageous in large doses—twelve to thirty grains
daily—in engorgement of the spleen, consequent on intermittent
fever; and M. LevyJ has found the dropsical effusions, that not
unfrequently supervene on neglected cases of the same disease,
yield readily to the sulphate in full doses.§
* Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimittel, S. 120.
f Repertorio Medico-Chirurgica por l'anno 1822, Torino. No. 22. Med.
Chirurg. Zeitung. B. ii, S. 137, 1823; & Richter's Specielle Therapie, B. x.
S. 326, Berlin, 1828.
X Op. cit.
\ Bulletin General de Therapeutique, Nov. 30, 1837, and M. Levy, Gazette
Med. No. xxij, and Encyclographie des Sciences Medicales, Juillet, 1840.
p. 287.
QUININE SULPHAS.
415
Besides their febrifuge property, the salts of quinine possess a
tonic virtue, which adapts them for numerous cases in which that
class of remedies is indicated. Yet there are many who think
that the cinchona is better calculated for such cases than the
quinine, and who administer the latter to prevent the paroxysms
of an intermittent, but have recourse to the cinchona, when they
are desirous of fortifying the system to pi event a relapse. There
are cases, too, whicb resist the quinine and its preparations, and
which subsequently yield to the cinchona in substance, but this
may be owing to the quantity of lignin, or woody matter in the
bark in substance, aiding the quinine of the cinchona in producing
that new impression on the nerves of the stomach, which is ne-
cessary to break in upon the paroxysmal catenation.
In its antiseptic virtues, also, the sulphate of quinine is inferior
to the cinchona. It has been doubted, indeed, whether it possess
any such virtues at all.
Lastly: there is an advantage possessed by the sulphate of
quinine,—that in irritable or impressible persons, it may be ex-
hibited endermically, and thus no disorder be induced in the di-
gestive powers. It need scarcely be said, that the cinchona is
not adapted for this mode of administration.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The sulphate of quinine may be administered internally in the
form of powder or pill, and in solution in wrater, alcohol, or syrup.
The average dose, in the twenty-four hours of apyrexia, is from
four to ten grains; yet it has been given frequently to a much
greater extent. As in the case of the cinchona, it has also been
advised that a large dose should be given immediately before the
expected paroxysm, so as to render the frequent administration
during the apyrexia unnecessary; this dose need not be so great
as the combined doses would amount to> so that there may be
economy in the plan. Dupasquier, Elliotson * ourselves, and many
others, have found this course eminently successful; but some ob-
ject to it.
A case of severe remittent has been detailed by Dr. Thomas
Fearn,f in which he gave, at one dose, three tea-spoonfuls—
weighing thirty-two grains. At the end of an hour, there was
a diminution in the frequency of the pulse—" the invariable ef-
fect of large doses of quinine, when its operation is favourable."
The dose was repeated, and at the end of another hour, it was
* Medico-Chirurgical Transactions, xii. 543, Lond. 1824.
f Op. cit.
416 QUININE SULPHAS.
again given, making ninety-six grains in two hours. Dr. Fearn
remarks, that his usual practice in remittent fever had been to
give three doses of twenty grains each, with an interval of an
hour between.
Generally, between the paroxysms, several doses are adminis-
tered; and, according to tbe particular case, the efficacy of the
salt of quinine is attempted to be increased by the addition of an-
timonials, laxatives, carminatives, &c, and in pernicious or ma-
lignant intermittents especially, of opium or morphine.
Of late, much attention has been directed at New Orleans to
the treatment of yellow fever by very large doses of the sulphate
of quinine—from a scruple to a dram—and it is said that great
success has attended its administration in the practice of Drs.
Hunt, Beattie, Farrel, Mackay, and others.*
By many, a combination of the quinine with moderate doses of
the cinchona is highly recommended. Chapman advises its union
with piperine: a combination with the alcoholic extract of cin-
chona has also been prescribed.
Mr. Sherwin,f of Hull, affirms, that a piece of apple, chewed for
a moment, immediately annihilates the bitter taste left by it.
The sulphate of quinine may be used in the way of enema, and
endermically, when the condition of the stomach forbids its in-
ternal employment. As an enema, four grains or more may be
mixed with starch, and be thrown up a short time before the pa-
roxysm, or at the inception of the same. In this wray it has been
found efficacious.^
In administering the sulphate, or muriate of quinine endermi-
cally, a space on the surface of the body is deprived of its cuticle
by means of a blister, and on this denuded portion the agent is
applied either in the form of powder or ointment. In testimony
of the efficacy of this mode of administering the salts of quinine,
many observers have come forward,—Lesieur, Lembert, Martin,
Wesche, Lehmann, Reilingh, Stratingh, Lieber, and others. From
four to eight grains may be placed on the denuded part once or
oftener in the day. Dr. Lieber, of Berlin, seems to have prescribed
the salt most frequently in this way: he mentions, that of sixty
cases, in which he employed it, only eight or ten were unsuccess-
ful; and there was reason to believe, that in these cases the in-
ternal administration of the sulphate of quinine would have failed
also. In the case of adults, he applies a blister in the evening—
of the size of a dollar—over the epigastric region; in the morn-
ing, during the apyrexia, the blister is cut: the cuticle removed,
* Philad. Med. Examiner, Oct 19, and Oct. 26, 1839.
t Lond. Med. Gazette, April 1, 1837.
X Richter, Op. cit- S. 331. Berlin. Medicin. Zeitung. Jan. 4,1837.
QUININE SULPHAS.
417
and five or six grains—in children two grains—of the sulphate
are sprinkled over the denuded surface. The whole is then co-
vered with adhesive plaster, which must extend to the breadth of
a finger, over the edges of the blistered part.
The sprinkling of the sulphate always occasions a violent burn-
ing sensation, but if it be applied in the form of ointment this evil
is avoided, or at least diminished. The pain, however, speedily,
disappears. Some hours after the application of the remedy, op-
pression is felt in the stomach, with a desire to vomit, without,
however, vomiting supervening; borborygmi, or uneasiness in the
bowels, and frequently fluid dejections, with augmented secretion
of saliva, which, in some cases, continues for several days.
In the course of from twelve to twfenty-four hours after the ap-
plication, a very bitter taste is generally perceived over the whole
tongue, similar to that of the quinine; and if the application has
been made sufficiently long before the anticipated paroxysm, it
may be entirely prevented, or be rendered much milder. After
the effect has been produced, the adhesive plaster may be kept,
applied for some days, and, if the sore is not healed, it may be
dressed with simple applications. In only two cases did Dr.
Lieber observe any extensive or offensive suppuration; and both
healed under simple dressings with dry lint.
Rubbing the quinine on the gums has, likewise, been occasion-
ally recommended, as well as frictions with the alcoholic solution
on these as well as other portions of the surface of the body—the
thighs, groins, and pit of the stomach;* and it has been advised
in cases of intermittent cephalalgia, and in iralgia, to be snuffed
up the nostrils.f
Syrupus Quinina Sulphatis.
Syrup of Sulphate of Quinine^
R. Quinin. sulphat. gr. xvj.
Syrup, simplic. 5viij. M.
Dose.—A spoonful. Magendie.
Syrupus Quinina Sulphatis Compositus.
Compound Syrup of Sulphate of Quinine.
R. Quinin. sulphat. gr. xvj.
Acid, sulphur, dilut gtt. v.
Syrup, limonis, 5viij. M.
Dose.—Same as the last.
* Dr. Schuster, cited in Amer. Journ. May, 1832, p. 242; and Antonini,
Journal des Connoissances, Oct. 1838.
f B. St. Hilaire, in Gazette Mddicale de Paris, Mars 26, 1836.
36
418
QUININ2E SULPHAS.
Tinctura Quinina Sulphatis.
Tincture of Sulphate of Quinine.
R. Quinin. sulph. gr. vj.
Solve in
Alcohol. 34° (.847) |j.
00se._3j or 5ij, immediately before an attack of fever.
Magendie.
Gutta Quinina Sulphatis et Opii.
Drops of Sulphate of Quinine and Opium.
H. Quinin. sulphat. (seu acetat.) gr. xij.
Solve in
Spirit, vini rectif. (seu liq. anodyn. Hoffman.) ^ss.
Adde
Tinct. opii simpl. gtt. xij.
Dose.—Morning and evening, twenty drops, in the summer
fevers of Europe. Schmidt.
Pulveres Quinina Sulphatis.
Powders of Sulphate of Quinine.
R. Quinin. sulphat. gr. iij. ad xij.
Sacchar. alb. 3ij.
Misce et fiat pulvis in partes vj aequales dividendus.
Dose.—A powder morning and evening, in nervous debility and
in intermittents.
Radius* advises, that the powders should be taken in coffee, by
which means the bitter taste is almost wholly counteracted.
Radius.
Pulveres Quinina Sulphatis et Sode Carbonatis.
Powders of Sulphate of Quinine and Carbonate of Soda.
R. Quinin. sulphat. gr. j.—ij.
Sodae carbonat. gr. iv.—v.
Sacch. alb. 9j.
Misce et fiat pulvis.
* Auserlesene Heilformeln, u. s. w. Leipz. 1836.
QUININE SULPHAS. 419"
Dose.—A powder, morning and evening, in scrofulous ophthal-
mia. Von Ammon.
Pulveres Quinina Sulphatis et Antimonii Tartratis.
Powders of Sulphate of Quinine and Tartarised Antimony.
H. Quinin. sulphat. gr. x.
Potass, et antim. tartrat. gr. iij.
Sacchar. alb. gr. xxiij.
Misce exacte, et divide in partes sex aequales.
Dose.—One, every two hours, during the apyrexia, in cases of
obstinate intermittents. Gola.*
Pulveres Quinina Sulphatis et Opii.
Powders of Sulphate of Quinine and Opium.
R. Opii puri, gr. j.
Quinin. sulph. gr. iij.
Sacchar. alb.
Gum. acac. aa. gr. vj. M. fiat pulvis.
To be taken a short time before the paroxysm in malignant
intermittents. Neumann.
Pulveres Quinina Sulphatis et Morphina Sulphatis.
Powders of Sulphate of Quinine and Sulphate of Morphine.
R. Quinin. sulph. gr. ij. ad vj.
Morphinae sulph. gr. £ adj.
Divide in dos. iv.
Magendie.
Pulveres Quinina Sulphatis Compositi.
Compound Powders of Sulphate of Quinine.
R. Quinin. sulph. gr. j.
Pulv. cinchon. optim. gr. xv.
Pulv. rhei,
Oleosacchar. menth. aa. gr. v.
Misce et fiat pulvis.
* Annali Univers. di Medicina, torn. 35.
420 QUININE SULPHAS.
Eight of these to be given in cases of intermittent fever.
Naumann.
R. Quinin. sulph. gr. |.
Chocolat. gr. vij.
Sacchar. lact gr. ij.
Misce. Fiat pulvis tertiis omnibus horis sumendus.
In debility of the stomach. Kopf.
Pilula Quinine Sulphatis.
Pills of Sulphate of Quinine.
R. Quinin. sulphat. gr. v.—xij.
Succ. glycyrrhiz. 3j-
Misce et fiant pilulae xij.
To be given, according to prescription, in nervous diseases.
Radius.
Pilule Quinine Sulphatis Composite.
Compound Pills of Sulphate of Quinine.
R. Quinin. sulphat. gr. x.—xv.
Acid, phosphoric, sice. 9ij.
Pulv. rad. althaeae, (vel rhei,) 9iv.
Ext. centaur, minor, (vel gentian.) 9ij.
Misce et fiant pilulae lx.
Dose.—Three to six pills, two or three times a day, in cases
of nervous debility, with disposition to hemorrhage, as after abor-
tion. Radius.
R. Quinin. sulphat. gr. xv.
Pulv. cinnam. 3SS-
Extract, cinchonae q. s. ut fiant pilulae xxx.
Dose.—Four pills every two to four hours. Henschel.
R. Quinin. sulphat. gr. xij.
Extract, trifol. 3j.
Pulv. rad. calam. aromat. q. s.
Fiant pilulae xij.
Dose.—One or two, every two hours. Hildenbrand.
QUININE sulphas.
421
Mistura Quinina Sulphatis.
Mixture of Sulphate of Quinine.
R. Quinin. sulphat. gr. xij.
Acid, sulph. dil. gtt. v.
Aquae cinnam. simpl. 5vj.
Syrup, cinnam. ?j. M.
Dose.—A table-spoonful.
Pulvis Sternutatorius ex Quinine Sulphate.
Sternutatory Powder of Sulphate of Quinine.
R. Quinin. sulphat gr. xv.
Tabaci sternutator. com. 5j. M.
To be snuffed up the nostrils in the course of five or six days,.
in cases of intermittent headach.
R. Quinin. sulphat. gr. vj.
Pulv. sacchar. pur. Jj-
Pulv. rad. iridis, ^\ss. M.
Small pinches of this to be snuffed up the nose at night.
B. St. Hilaiee..
Unguemtum Quinina Sulphatis.
Ointment of Sulphate of Quinine.
R. Quinin. sulphat. 5j.
Alcohol (38° ad 40°) q. s. (gij.)
Acid, sulphuric, q. s. (gtt. lxxx.)
Adipis 5iv. M.
Half an ounce at a time to be rubbed on the groins in malig-
nant intermittents. It may be likewise placed in the axilla.
Antonini.
Vinum Quinina.
Wine of Quinine.
R. Quinin. sulphat. gr. xij.
Vin. Mader. ftij. M.
The wine of quinine may also be made extemporaneously, by
adding two ounces of the tincture to a pint bottle of wine.
36*
422
QUININE, ET CINCHONINjE, TANNAS.
VIII. QUININE, ET CINCHONINiE, TANNAS.
Synonyme.—Tannate of Quinine, and Cinchonine.
Dr. Otto* has drawn the attention of physicians to the effi-
cacy of the Tannaies of Quinine and Cinchonine, as recom-
mended by Dr. Rouander, the secretary to the Swedish Medical
Association. He regards them as the most active ingredients in
the cinchonas; and affirms that he has cured by their agency
several cases of obstinate intermittent, which had resisted the use
of sulphate of quinine and other powerful remedies. He found
them likewise very useful in typhus and in states of general weak-
ness and tendency to putrescency, where the sulphate of quinine
seemed to be ineffectual. Dr. Rouander's experiments establish
the belief that the tannin of the cinchonas may be instrumental in
developing their full febrifuge powers.f The tannate of quinine
is also a cheaper remedy than the sulphate.
On separating the quinine from cinchona by means of acids, a
resinous constituent of the bark remains behind, which affords no
more quinine, but yet possesses considerable febrifuge power, and
on that account has been much used by the Dutch physicians.
Two grains of this residuum are said to act as well as one grain
of quinine. Truessink adduces a series of observations of diffe-
rent physicians, all of which confirm, this, and he cites the expe-
rience of American physicians with the residuum. Accordingto Dr.
Chapman,^ a grain of this may be given every two hours during
the apyrexia, in the form of pill. Strathing ascribes its efficacy
to the quinine still contained in it. In Italy, several physicians
have found the mother waters or lees after the preparation of
quinine, when boiled to the consistence of syrup, very efficacious
in intermittents; and Roux recommends it highly for practice
amongst the poor. Buchner advises the lees, evaporated to dry-
ness—which he terms Chininum Resino-sulphuricum—to be in-
troduced as a cheap, and, at the same time, efficacious prepara-
tion of cinchona, which may be used in charitable institutions,
* Dublin Journal of Medical Science, Sepr. 1836.
f Rpvue Medicale, Mai, 1837, and Dunglison's Amer. Med. Intelligencer,.
Oct. 16, 1837, p. 270.
X Elements of Therapeutics, 6th edit. ii. 292. Philad. 1831.
QUININ2E, ET CINCH0NIN2E, TANNAS. 423
rubbed up with sugar as a powder, or dissolved in alcohol, in place
of the sulphate of quinine. These experiments and propositions,
as Riecke* observes, merit more consideration than they have
yet received; for the quinine, notwithstanding its price is much
less than formerly, is yet so dear, that its administration does not
adapt it well for charitable institutions, whilst the residue, which
possesses valuable properties, is generally thrown away, and in
this manner the price of the quinine is enhanced.
Serturnerf thinks he discovered, besides the quinine and the
cinchonine, other alkaloids of cinchona, especially one, which he
calls Chinioidine, or Chinoidine, and which excels in medicinal
properties all the other preparations of cinchona. Henry and
Delondre—the French chemists—affirm that the chinioidine is
nothing more than quinine, cinchonine, and a peculiar yellow re-
sinous matter, intimately adherent to that alkaloid. It appears,
also, from the experiments of different physicians with the pre-
sumed new alkaloid, that it essentially resembles the preparations
already mentioned in its medical properties. A Resina China
Praparata is recommended by Plagge, which is prepared from
the mother waters or lees of the quinine, by means of precipita-
tion by a carbonated alkali, extraction by alcohol, and removal
of the alcoholic liquor by distillation. It is said, likewise, to pos-
sess markedly curative powers in intermittents.
The Pharmacopceia of the United States gives a formula under
the title Quinia Sulphas Impurus, which consists in evaporating
the liquor poured off the crystals of sulphate of quinine to the
consistence of a pilular mass. This has been known for years in
Philadelphia under the name of Extract of Quinine, and its active
ingredients.appear to be sulphate of quinine and sulphate of cin-
chonine, which are prevented from crystallising by a peculiar
resinoid substance united with them.
Dr. WoodJ asserts that he has seldom found intermittents resist
twenty-four grains of the impure sulphate, given between the
paroxysms; although a larger quantity may be employed with
safety and greater certainty of success. We have never pre-
scribed it.
* Die neuern Arzneimittel, u. s. w. S. 130.
t Hufeland's Journal, Jan. 1829.
X Art. Quinise Sulphas Impurus, in Wood & Bache's Dispensatory, 4th edit.
p. 1032. Philad. 1839.
424
SALICINA.
SALICINA.
Synonymes.—Salicinum, Salicinium, Salicine, Salicin.
German.—Salicin, Weidenstoff, Weidenbitter.
The tonic virtues of the bark of the willow have been known
for ages, and it has been regarded as one of the best substitutes
for the cinchona in eleemosynary institutions. It was not much
valued, however, in more modern times, until the discovery of an
active principle in it again attracted to it the attention of practi-
tioners. This discovery, if not made, was perfected, by Leroux,*
an apothecary at Vitry, in France, who first obtained the sali-
cine in a pure state in 1828, after it had been procured in an im-
pure form by some German and Italian chemists.f It is prepared,
by preference, from the ISalix helix, but it is found likewise in
the barks of other varieties of the willow—the Salix alba, S. vi-
tellina, S. purpurea, S. Lambertiana, S. pentandra, G. polyandra,
S. fragilis, S. viminalis, &c, and in the leaves and barks of se-
veral varieties of poplar,—the populus tremula, P. tremuloides,
P. alba, and P. graeca.J
METHOD OF PREPARING.
According to the method of Leroux, three pounds of dried and
powdered willow bark {salix helix) are boiled for three quarters
of an hour in fifteen pounds of water, to which four ounces of
subcarbonate of potassa have been added. To the cold decoc-
tion are added two pounds of liquid subacetate of lead. The mix-
ture is permitted to settle, is filtered, treated with sulphuric acid;
and the remaining lead precipitated by a stream of sulphuretted
hydrogen gas. The excess of acid is neutralised by carbonate
of lime: it is then again filtered, the fluid inspissated and neu-
tralised by dilute sulphuric acid. It is deprived of its colour by
ivory black, and filtered whilst boiling. It is then twice crystal-
lised—if still coloured after the first crystallisation—and dried in
the dark. This process yields about an ounce of salicine.
* Annales de Chimie, &c. xliii. and Journal de Chimie Medicale, torn vi.
\ Dictionnaire de Mat. Med. par Merat & De Lens, art. Salicine.
X Riecke, Die neuern Arzneimittel, S. 365, and 2te Auflage, 572. Stutt-
gart, 1840.
SALICINA.
425
Braconnot* obtains it by adding subacetate of lead to a decoc-
tion of the bark, precipitating the excess of lead by sulphuric
acid, evaporating the colourless liquid that remains, adding near
the end of the process a little animal charcoal previously washed,
and filtering the liquor while hot. The salicine is deposited, on
cooling, in a crystalline form.f
The following plan has been advised by Messrs. Fisher and
Tyson, of Baltimore.J Willow bark is boiled with caustic lime
in water; the decoction is filtered and sulphate of zinc added, so
long as it produees a precipitate. The liquid, having been again
filtered, is evaporated to the consistence of an extract, and the
residue is treated with alcohol. The tincture, thus obtained, if
carefully evaporated, yields crystals of salicine, which may be
purified by washing with a saturated solution of the same princi-
ple, in cold water.
Salicine forms very fine silky masses of white crystals, which
have the appearance of mother of pearl. It bears a distant re-
semblance to the sulphate of quinine, yet it is not so loose and
delicate. It is permanent in the air, inodorous, and has a strong,
enduring bitter taste, with a striking accompanying balsamic fla-
vour, like the bark of the willow.§ One hundred parts of cold
water dissolve six parts of salicine. In warm water it is more
soluble, and also in alcohol; but it is not soluble either in ether
or the essential oils. It exhibits no alkaline reaction. By
admixture with sulphuric acid salicine acquires a beautiful red
colour.||
EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY.
The well known effects of the barks of the willows gave occa-
sion to the immediate employment of salicine in cases of inter-
mittent fever. MiquelTI appears to have been one of the first—
if not the first—who instituted experiments with it; and he satis-
fied himself, that it merits a distinguished place amongst our febri-
fuge agents, although it requires larger doses than the quinine.
Soon afterwards it was given by other physicians—by Husson
and Bally, Girardin, Magendie, Andral, Blaincourt, Graff, Linz.
* Journal de Chimie Medicale, Janvier, 1831.
t For Peschier's method, see Annales de Chimie, vol. xliv. and Amer.
Journ. Med. Sciences, May, 1831, p. 256.
X Journal of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, iii. 214.
§ MM. Pelouze and Jules Gay Lussac, in Annales de Chimie, vol. xliv.
|| For an elaborate account of the chemical relations of salicine, see M.R.
Piria, Annales de Chimie et de Physique, Novembre, 1838.
IF Gazette Medicale de Paris, Janv. 1830; see, also, Annales de Chimie,
xliii. and xliv.
426
SALICINA.
Stegmayer, Amelung, Stam, Van Sneek, Blom, Grafe, Von dem
Busch, Krombholz, Pleischl, and others.
The sentiments, respecting its value, are discrepant; some
classing it far beneath the quinine, whilst others assign it even a
higher position. Its general properties are certainly analogous to
those of quinine; but it in no respect merits a preference,* not
even in the article of price: for, although an equal weight of sa-
licine may cost less, it requires so much more to produce the same
effect, that the cost is perhaps equal. Still as M. Pleischl,f of
Prague, has suggested, even if the salicine were much the dearer
of the two, it might be better to use it, because it is of home
manufacture, and can be obtained in war as well as in peace.
MODE OF ADMINISTERING.
The ordinary dose of salicine, in a case of intermittent, is about
four or six grains every three hours during the period of intermis-
sion ; in the febres larvata, or masked fevers, smaller doses may
be given, but in the very violent fevers at Calvi, in the Island of
Corsica, Levy found it often necessary to give from forty to fifty
grains in twenty-four hours.
Of thirty cases of quotidian and tertian intermittents, twenty
were cured by the use of the salicine; ten required afterwards
the sulphate of quinine.
He considers it to be preferable to the sulphate of quinine in
intermittents that are accompanied by irritation in the primse viae:
he never saw it rejected or produce vomiting; and in cases of
manifest irritation of the digestive tube, it has been borne perfectly
well.J
Salicine is generally given in intermittents, in the form of pow-
der. In other affections, to obtain its febrifuge or tonic agency,
one or two grains may be given four or five times a day—gra-
dually augmenting the dose.
In cases of asthenia of the digestive organs, Von dem Busch
prescribes a powder of salicine and sugar, with the addition of
cinnamon; and lozenges of salicine, sugar, gum arabic, and oil of
peppermint. In cases of copious secretion from the mucous mem-
branes, especially in chronic bronchitis and leucorrhea, he directs
* Richelot, in Archives Generates de Medecine, Sepr. 1833: see, also,
Prof. Dierbach, in Heidelb. klinisch. Annal. B. x. H. 1. S. 62. Heidelb.
1834.
f Medicinisch. Jahrbttcher des k. k. o. Staat. 1835; and Br. and For.
Med. Rev. for April, 1836, p. 576.
X Archives Medicales de Strasburg, and Gazette Medicale de Paris, Fevr.
25, 1837.
SALICINA. 427
the salicine to be combined with a decoction of the polygala
amara, or of the lichen islandicus. In intermittents, Stegmayer
advices it to be associated with small doses of tartrate of antimo-
ny and potassa.
Pilule Salicine.
Pills of Salicine.
R. Salicin.
Ext. gentian, aa. gr. xxiv.
Pulv. rad. glycyrrh. q. v.
ut fiant pilulae. xij.
Vavasseur.
Pulveres Salicine.
Powders of Salicine.
R. Salicin.gr. xij.
Sacch. alb. 9ij. Misce
et fiat pulvis in partes iv asquales dividendus.
Dose.—One, three times a day. Krombholz.
Pulveres Salicine Compositi.
Compound Powders of Salicine.
R. Salicin. gr. xv.
Antim. et potass, tartrat. gr. j.
Sacchar. alb. 9iiss, Misce
et fiat pulvis, in partes x aequales dividendus.
Dose.—A powder, every two hours. Stegmayer.
Mistura Salicine.
Mixture of Salicine.
R. Rad. poly gal. amar. 3yj.
Coque cum aquae fontanae 5xij. ad remanent. 5viij.
Colaturae adde
Salicin. gr. viij. ad. x. M.
Dose.—One of two spoonfuls every two hours.
VoN DEM BUSCH.
428
SAPO COCONEUS.--SAPO MOLLIS.
SAPO COCONEUS.
Synonymes.—Sapo Olei Cocos, Sapo Cacaotinus, Soap of the Cocoanut Oil.
French.—Savon de Cacoa.
German.—Cocosnussolseife, Cocosnussolsodaseife, Palmoiseife.
This soap has been much employed in Europe, of late years
more especially, as a cosmetic, and it seems well adapted for the
purpose, except for its peculiar odour, which is by no means
agreeable, but may be masked by the addition of some sweet-
scented oil. Our object of mentioning it here is to state, that the
veteran Hufeland extolled it highly as an efficacious and innoxious
application in herpes, not only from numerous trials of it made
by himself, but by others, and he affirms, that when it does not
effect a cure, it allays the distressing burning and itching.
The soap is dissolved in warm water, and the affected part
washed with it three or four times a day>
SAPO MOLLIS.
Synonymes.—Sapo Vif idis, S. Niger, S. Kalicus, S. Domesticus mollis, Sapo
exOlivae Oleo et Potassa confectus.
French.—Savon Noir, Savon Mou, Savon a base de Potasse.
German.—Schmierseife, Grttne Schmierseife, Kautliche Kaliseife.
Under this name a soap is used, which is formed by a union of
oil with potassa. It is the " sapo ex oleo et potassd confectus "